A Son's revenge, a Daughter's Love
by creelluka
Summary: Snape's father is alive, now Hermione's parents are dead because of it. Snape is forced to babysit our favorite know-it-all for the summer, what's gonna happen? (takes place the summer between 6th and 7th year, eventually 7th year, non DH compliant, AU after 5th Year, rated M for language and because I will eventually get THERE and I won't want to change it then)
1. Chapter 1: 17 years ago

**Hi, this is my first long-term Fan-fiction so it might take me a while, I apologize if I'm not up to par compared to some other writers. Review so I know when to post the next chapter, I have chapter 2 just waiting to be posted!, Follow, and Favorite?**

**[Thank you gemini-rose 16 and jitra for letting me know the correct date for this chapter, I fixed it, see? :)]**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing unless specified din the disclaimer. Inspector Lestrade is from BBC's Sherlock.**

**(edited as of 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 21, 1982<strong>

A twenty-one-year-old Severus T. Snape sat in a chair at the grimy kitchen table of his childhood home, numb. Albus Dumbledore, a slightly less grizzled Alastor Moody, and a muggle Policemen were sitting at the table, looking at him.

"She's dead?" he croaked. The first words he had spoken since he was told of his mother's death.

"Yes, I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr. Snape," The muggle policeman said. "But I'll need you to answer some questions."

Dumbledore spoke up. "There'll be no need for that, Inspector Lestrade. We can take it from here." The Inspector's eyes glazed and he marched himself out the door of Spinner's End and into the darkness.

"Bit o' Firewhiskey on you, boy?" Auror and member of The Order of the Phoenix, Alastor Moody asked.

"No, only muggle alcohol, in the cupboard," Snape said, gesturing to a rather grimy cabinet in a corner of the kitchen.

"Ah, better not then, the stuff tastes like piss." Moody muttered and whirred his new magical eye in its socket.

"Severus," Albus spoke softly. "We have a witness that says your father was the one to do this, Argus Filch, a Squib who lives in the area and was assigned to watch your home."

"This isn't my home," Snape spat, anger overtaking the shock. "This," he gestured to their surroundings. "Has never been my home, it is a prison for all who live under its roof. Hogwarts is my home." Moody grunted in agreement.

"Voldemort is gone Severus, but he will return," Dumbledore intoned. "His last assignment was for you to be his spy at Hogwarts. Lily is dead, James is dead, young Harry is an orphan, Peter Pettigrew is dead, your mother is dead, your father has fled the country, and Sirius Black is incarcerated. Everyone that you loved is dead, and all you have hated are either dead or gone.

"Join The Order of the Phoenix, Severus, because Tom will return, and with him, his followers. You say Voldemort wished you to spy on The Order, join The Order and spy on him after his return. For Eileen Prince. For Lily Evans. For the last remaining piece of Lily, her son."

Snape's black eyes met Dumbledore's. There was no mischievous twinkle in those blue eyes now, they were hard chips of ice. They were eyes who had seen and experienced things much worse than Death.

Looking back on this moment, Severus realized the irony of the situation. Almost a year ago he had begged Dumbledore to forgive him for giving his master the prophecy he had overheard. Severus had begged Dumbledore to hide the Potters away and allow him to help the Order to right the wrong he had caused. Dumbledore had hidden the Potters but had refused to accept his pleas to help against Voldemort, and when, almost nine months ago, his Lord had fallen, leaving the Potter's dead except for their son, and Death Eaters were rounded up and tried at the ministry, most, with the exception of the political influence, without trial. Severus himself only managed to escape Azkaban and the Dementor's Kiss because Dumbledore had stepped in and vouched for him, knowing that he owed the young man for warning him about Voldemort's plan for the Potters, but only in that one instance. And now, here was the great Albus Dumbledore, asking for his help. Looking back, Severus knew what he should have said, but experiencing it for the first time, his answer was.

"I'll do it."


	2. Chapter 2: Tobias who?

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**~Creelluka**

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**(edited as of 10-3-2015**

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><p>July 2, 1997<p>

"They're dead." Hermione Granger sobbed. She was sitting in a chair at the shiny kitchen table of her Obliviated parents' home in Australia. Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and a weary Alastor Moody sat at the table with her. Or rather, Headmistress McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody did, Snape was standing to the side as if trying not to be seen. His face was a mask of disgust and boredom, but on the inside, pity, empathy, and remorse whirled inside of him.

"I am very sorry for your loss, Miss Granger." Minerva consoled. A muscle in Snape's cheek twitched briefly as he clenched his teeth, remembering how little words like that helped.

"I sent them away so this wouldn't happen!" The girl wailed.

"You didn't know it would happen," Minerva contradicted.

"Here you go, girl, take a sip o' this," Mad-Eye offered Hermione a flask, she took a tentative sniff of the Firewhiskey inside, then chugged it all. Moody gave a soft huff of annoyance.

Hermione took a shuddering breath. "Who did this?" she asked.

"Tobias." It was the first time Snape had spoken since apparating to Australia. Hermione looked at him, her red, tearful eyes and blotchy face regarded his cold, emotionless, black eyes and wax-like face.

"Who's Tobias? A Death Eater?" Hermione asked.

"A Muggle. My father."

"Your fath-"

"Yes, Miss Granger. My father killed your parents. He also killed my mother, a witch, seventeen years ago. I can only assume that when he fled London, he came to Australia, where he encountered your parents and killed them." He interrupted. He said all this emotionlessly as if he were reading off of a grocery list.

"What am I going to do?" She asked rhetorically. "Without them?"

Hermione fell silent and looked at her limp hands in her lap. Minerva held her while Mad-Eye and Snape had a furious, silent argument.

Moody glared at Snape. Snape raised an eyebrow at Moody. The Auror jerked his head towards the Gryffindor girl. The spy clenched his teeth and slightly shook his head. Moody's 'mad eye' seemed to bore a hole into Snape. Snape stared back. McGonagall looked up to see the two men glaring at each other and guessing what it was about, entered the silent conversation by catching Snape's eyes and nodding firmly. Snape wrinkled his nose and curled his lip into a sneer of disgust.

Just then, Remus Lupin entered the kitchen, he had been sniffing around the house for scents and had just finished.

"Got his scent, Severus," The werewolf said. "Sorry it took a bit of time, there was a lot of blood." He flinched and glanced at Hermione, she had started crying again. Minerva glared at Remus, who flinched again under his former Head of Houses' glare.

"You will be staying with Remus and Professor Snape, Miss Granger," Minerva said to the girl, who had quelled her sobbing once more.

"W-what? What about the Weasley's, can't I stay with them? Or at Grimmauld Place?" Hermione begged. Snape didn't blame the girl for trying to change the Headmistress' mind, he didn't want to deal with her either.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but that really is the best place for you to be right now, in time, you'll see." McGonagall apologized. Hermione hung her head in resignation.

"You have no need to worry about funeral preparation, The Order will take care of that, Miss Granger," McGonagall promised. Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes once again.

"Compose yourself, Miss Granger, we'll be leaving as soon as I finish making plans with Headmistress McGonagall," Snape demanded as Hermione took deep breaths to banish the new wave of tears.

Ten minutes later, the details were squared out and it was time to leave.

"Headmistress, will I still be able to go to Bill and Fleur's wedding? Everyone is expecting me." Hermione asked, hoping that she wouldn't have to stay the entire summer with her Potions Professor and a werewolf, however nice said werewolf may be.

"We'll see, Miss Granger, now hurry along, you don't want to miss the portkey to the Australian Ministry of Magic, you'd have to go diving, seeing as the Ministry is located beneath the Great Barrier Reef." McGonagall attempted to lighten the mood. Hermione gave her role model a small smile.

Stepping up to the broken quill the Ministry had given them as a portkey, Hermione placed her finger between Remus' and Professor Snape's. A few seconds later, a tugging behind each of their navels alerted them to the start of their short journey.

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><p>After the three new flatmates disappeared, Minerva sighed.<p>

"What's wrong?" Alastor asked.

"I worry about them, before now, there hadn't been a trace of Tobias in almost twenty years, why now? Why Miss Granger's parents?" She answered.

"I don't know, Minerva, I'm just an old Auror, I leave the thinking up to people like you."

They both grasped their portkey and within a few seconds, were gone.


	3. Chapter 3:Nightmares and Friendly Potion

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**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(edited as of 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 3, 1997 (very early morning)<strong>

After portkeying to the Australian Ministry of Magic, which was indeed underneath the Great Barrier Reef, the three employed a variety of magical transportation, including Floo, Apparation, Brooms, more portkeys, a flying car much like the one Mr. Wesley had charmed in Hermione's second year, and yet more Apparation, before they arrived at their final destination, Prince Manor. Severus Snape's matrimonial, ancestral home, just outside of Cokeworth.

"You have a house?" Hermione blurted before she could stop herself. Her eyes grew wide and she slapped a hand over her mouth as she realized what she said could be considered rude. Snape glared at her before doing an impressive bit of wandless magic and opening the front door.

As she passed him when entering what would be her temporary new home, he hissed, "Of course I have a house, I am not a bat to hang in the Owlery during the summer."

Of course you wouldn't be a bat in the Owlery, the school owls would have a nice variation to their supper if you were. Hermione thought snidely as she crossed the threshold. Snape, with his Legilimency, saw the mental image of a bat with his own head on it, greasy hair and all, being chased and eaten by owls, from Miss Granger's thoughts, and despite himself, had to stifle a chuckle. He didn't quite succeed in muffling it, and a small noise was heard by Remus, who looked at him strangely. Snape ignored the werewolf, and Remus wandered off to the main Library.

"Remy!" He called, and a house-elf appeared with a CRACK!

The creature had to be the strangest looking house-elf Hermione had ever seen, it had ears like one of those Madagascan lemurs, tiny and rounded, with large, tennis ball-like eyes and a curved beak of a nose, not unlike Professor Snape's. The elf was also wearing a strange ensemble of 'clothing', it was wearing what looked to be a small, black, bathrobe, and on its feet was something that could pass as crude moccasins, cut and sewn from an old turnip sack.

"Remy, take Miss Granger to the Red Room, please, she will be staying as a guest," Hermione didn't miss the slight exaggeration of the word 'guest'. "With us for a while."

"Yes, Master Snape." That was another thing, of all the house-elves Hermione had met before, all had squeaky, high-pitched voices, but Remy had a lower register.

Though it made sense, Hermione reasoned, that her professor, who on a daily basis had to deal with eleven through seventeen-year-olds, would want a house-elf that didn't talk like a Screech Owl.

"This way, Miss Granger, Red Room is this way!" Remy led Hermione through the house, giving her a quick tour on the way. They climbed two sets of stairs before the house-elf directed Hermione to a cherry-wood door halfway down the hall, Remy pointed out which rooms were whose, Remus' being two to the left of Hermione, closest to the stairs, and Snape across the hall and three doors to the right, which was barred from entry by not only several spells, but by thick metal bolts, too.

When Hermione opened the door to 'her room', she was surprised to see that it looked similar to what her own room had looked like, back in London. Large bed with red sheets, a few drawings stuck to the walls, music sheets on the desk, a comfortable looking chair seated beneath a large window. The only difference was the fireplace and the bookshelf. A floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelf containing more books than Hermione herself owned. Just skimming it, Hermione saw books that she had never heard of, Muggle and magical both.

Exhausted both physically and emotionally, Hermione decided to go to sleep, it was quite late, or early depending on how you look at it, as it was 1:14 in the morning. She placed her small, beaded purse on the floor next to her trainers and climbed into the soft bed, still dressed.

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><p>Hermione was lying comfortably and drowsily in her bed, in the type of limbo sleep where you are not quite asleep, yet deep asleep and it feels as if you are floating, unable to discern which way you are facing or what is up or down, when the door cracked open, light spilling from the hallway. Hermione blinked stupidly at the light spilling into her room, two figures stood in the doorway and Hermione could not tell who they were until they spoke.<p>

"You killed us, Hermione." Her mum said.

"No!" She cried. "I didn't! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Hermione Jean Granger," Her father said sternly. "You erased our memory of you and sent us to Australia so you could live your magical life without us telling you what to do."

"I didn't! I didn't! I did it to save you!" Hermione sobbed. Her mother and father stepped further into the room, closer to Hermione. She could see their faces now, their bloody faces, eye sockets black with blood, cheeks slashed and caked with blood, sliced throats. Hermione screamed. And screamed.

When she felt hands on her, restraining her, Hermione was awake in an instant, kicking and screaming even more when she saw a figure in black leaning over her, restraining her arms.

"Shut up you idiot girl," The figure hissed angrily. "I'm trying to help!" The realization of who the voice most likely belonged to, shocked Hermione enough to stop thrashing.

"Professor?" She croaked, unsure if he was really there.

"Miss Granger," His deep timbre both soothed and ruffled her.

"Er, can you let me go?" she asked, he had still not released her wrists. He let go as if he had been burned by an open flame.

"I have a bottle of Dreamless Sleep and a Calming Draught for you," Snape said, gesturing to two glass bottles on her nightstand, one green, and one red.

"Th-thank you, sir," Hermione stuttered, surprised that he would have thought to give her two potions that took time and materials to make. And deliver them himself, no less.

Snape grunted and left her room.

Swigging down the sweet Calming Drought and downing the Dreamless Sleep potion, Hermione fell back asleep, this time not bothered by her dead parents.

Her last coherent thought was that Professor Snape had nice hands.

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><p>In his own bedroom, Snape was irritated. Why had he gone into her room? He could have just requested Remy to do it, Snape had safely trained the house-elf on how to safely handle bottled potions, so why did he bring the Granger girl the potions?<p>

Snape dismissed these thoughts with a swig from his own bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion.

His last coherent thought came unbidden: Miss Granger had pleasant wrists, even if her shrieks were comparable to those of a Mandrake.


	4. Chapter 4: Letters and Information

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**~Creelluka**

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**(edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 5, 1997<strong>

Snape was irritated for four, very good reasons: 1) the full moon was coming in a few days and Remus had taken off to be alone, despite the Wolfsbane potion that Snape spent time and resources on brewing the damn thing, 2) Miss Granger had not yet woken up after he had left the potions in her room, it was now two full days she'd been asleep and if she didn't wake up today, he'd have to actually do something about it, lest McGonagall think he had inadvertently killed Hogwarts' favorite student, 3) he knew that the Dark Lord would Summon him soon, possibly two days, at the latest, and 4) he knew he would be Summoned soon because his Dark Mark was steadily prickling with pain and growing darker.

"Remy!"

CRACK! "What can Remy do for Master Snape?" The elf asked.

"Remy, prepare my Dark Robes for me," Snape ordered. "Just lay them on the chair when you've finished."

"Yes Master Snape, Remy will prepare Dark robes perfectly." The house-elf bowed low.

"Also, if Miss Granger wakes, you might as well bring her food to eat," He added.

Remy bowed again, "Remy will do." The elf disappeared with a CRACK!

Snape didn't sigh, he just exhaled depressedly. How was he going to deal with a werewolf, spying on, and for the Dark Lord, and a teenage girl, all in the same summer?

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><p>The prominent members of The Order of the Phoenix sat at the long kitchen table in Grimmauld Place, discussing Tobias and the death of Hermione's parents.<p>

"Wotcher, wouldn't Tobias be in his sixties or seventies now?" Tonks asked. "He's a muggle, they don't live as long as we do. Wouldn't he be too old and weak to kill two younger, healthier, muggles? Especially with the damage that was done." The gathered members whispered to their neighbors, passing theories to how Tobias Snape was still kicking.

"We have reason to believe that Tobias has joined forces with Lord Voldemort," Minerva said, and everyone started whispering again.

"Why would You-Know-Who have a Muggle work for him?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"I dunno, it seems a bit out of character, to me," Harry whispered back.

"Oh, poor Hermione," Mrs. Weasley whimpered. Mr. Weasley patted her arm and adjusted the scarf that hid the puckered snake bites from Nagini from view.

"Severus, you're also Voldemort's potion maker, has he made you brew any potions that could relate to your father's endurance on this world?" Moody asked, turning to the black-clad man in the corner.

"I am, and he has," he drawled. "Approximately two months ago, the Dark Lord requested me to brew enough Strengthening Solutions, Invigoration Draughts, and Age Potions to seem suspicious."

"Wait, Tobias, the bloke who killed 'Mione's parents is your dad?" Ron blurted.

Snape glared at him. "Yes Mr. Weasley, the murderer of your dear Miss Granger's parents is my sire," he hissed. "And if any of your pathetic friends outside of this room hear of this, you will find yourself on the other side of the veil." Snape threatened. Ron gulped nervously.

Fred and George poked Ron, "Hear that, Ronniekins?" "Big, bad, Potions Master is threatening you and mum and dad didn't defend you,"

"Piss off," Ron's face was a full shade darker than his hair as he shoved his brothers away.

"Professor," Harry asked, "Where's Hermione?"

"Ah, Miss Granger is in a secure location and will remain there until further notice," McGonagall told the gathered members.

"Can we see her?" Ron asked.

"I am sorry, Mr. Weasley, I think it best that Miss Granger be left alone to mourn her parents' death. You may, however, write her a letter and I will make sure it reaches her." McGonagall looked over at Snape, who stared back impassively.

"You will see her at the funeral of her parents, when the date is decided, you will be notified."

"Bollocks!" Harry exploded. "Wherever she is, Hermione wouldn't want to be alone, we should be there with her!" Ron nodded vigorously. Snape grit his teeth at the insolence of the Potter boy and his red-headed sidekick.

"I assure you, Potter, that your bushy-haired cohort would like nothing more than to be undisturbed at the moment." Snape stared into Lily's green eyes, perfectly copied into the face of Snape's greatest school tormentor.

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><p>For the next two hours, plans were made. Kingsley, Tonks, Mr. Weasley, and Moody would keep an eye out at the Ministry for anything regarding Tobias. The Weasley' would stay at Grimmauld Place with Harry until the wedding, which would take place at The Burrow.<p>

After the meeting concluded, Snape was ambushed by none other than Potter and Weasley, just as he was about to step into the Floo.

"Professor McGonagall told us to give our letters to Hermione to you, sir," Harry said, staring Snape in the eyes, daring him to deny it.

"Miss Granger will receive your letters. But let it be known that I am not an owl for you to pass notes between." Snape said impatiently, his Dark Mark was burning now, the Dark Lord was agitated and Snape only hoped that he wouldn't be Summoned, he really wanted a few glasses of Firewhiskey before attempting to sleep.

Snape snatched the proffered letters and tucking them in one of the many pockets of his black robes, he tossed a handful of the silver Floo powder, stepped into the green flames and was whisked away to Prince Manor.


	5. Chapter 5: Hermione's Day

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**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The excerpt is from Wikipedia.**

**(Edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 5, 1997 (Same day, Hermione's Side)<strong>

Hermione woke up several hours after Snape left for the Order meeting, she panicked for a moment, not knowing where she was, before taking in her elegant, red, surroundings and all the horrid memories came flooding back. Hermione felt as if he had been punched in the chest, she couldn't breathe and gasped for breath, her eyes prickled but she couldn't cry.

Hermione lay in her borrowed bed, staring at the ceiling, hoping to find sleep, but knowing that she wasn't going to be escaping reality anytime soon.

Eventually, her bladder made its presence known and Hermione rushed to the bathroom to relieve herself.

Looking in the mirror, Hermione groaned, her usually curly mass of hair, though tamed in her Fourth year, had regained its bushiness while she was asleep. Patting it down and brushing it did nothing to improve her wild hair. Getting frustrated when the brush kept getting caught in her hair, Hermione let out a small scream of frustration, and, finally fed up with dealing with her hair, Hermione rummaged through the bathroom drawers until she found a suitable pair of shears.

Grabbing a fistful of hair, Hermione cut it off at her shoulders, it fell into the porcelain bowl embedded in the counter. Hermione furiously cut away at her hair, strands and clumps falling to the ground and the counter as she leaned closer to the mirror, not making a sound, even when she nicked her left ear, she just kept snipping away.

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><p>When Hermione stepped out of the bathroom two hours later, it was safe to say that she looked and felt like a new person, or at the very least, a different version of the same person. The sadness and overwhelming grief was still there, trapped and bubbling just under the surface, but Hermione was more optimistic than she had been; after all, she still had Harry and Ron, and Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley already acted like her second parents. Hermione knew that the Weasley's would never replace her parents, but it was nice to know that she was considered a daughter to them, even if she wouldn't marry Ron.<p>

Now that had been an awkward, but mutual break up. Hermione reflected, cautiously descending the stairs to go to the kitchen on the first floor. She knew she and Ron wouldn't have long, he was too immature for her, regardless that he had grown up quite a bit from the resentful Third year boy who accused her of letting Crookshanks eat Scabbers, who, at the time, was a disguised Peter Pettigrew.

That was another sad note for Hermione, she had sent Crookshanks with her parents in Australia, the faithful half-kneazle had been found dead in a pan on the stove, off, as if the murderer, who she now knew was Professor Snape's father, wanted to make a point about vermin. She only hoped that her pet had gotten a few swipes in.

Hermione and Ron had their good times, in the beginning, but it quickly morphed into small tiffs about Ron not paying her enough attention, or Hermione nagging Ron too much (I am woman, hear me nag!), it was only one month before they both decided they were better off as friends, and mutually terminated their relationship.

Professor Snape's home was not what she had expected it to be, she knew it was childish and wrong to think that her teachers stayed at Hogwarts year-round, but yet, Hermione felt that while Snape may live in this Manor, he didn't really inhabit it. The place felt lived in, though not for a very long time, now it felt like a hotel room, clean, neat, and inconspicuous. There were decorations, trinkets, and knick-knacks around the place, but they didn't add to the sense that someone lived there. There was no character. It felt as if they were all guests in that giant house.

Hermione entered the kitchen to find Remy setting out a late lunch.

"Miss Granger is woken up!" The elf squealed.

"Hello, Remy," Hermione sat at the table and picked up a sandwich. "Where is everyone?" she asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich. Suddenly realizing that she was ravenous, she quickly finished it off and took another.

"Wolf-man and Master is gone." The elf answered, pushing a glass of pumpkin juice forward, Hermione gulped it down. "Wolf-man turning next moonrise, ran to hide. Master gone to bird meeting, told Remy to feed Miss Hermione if she finally woke up."

Wolf-man must be Remus, and the 'bird meeting' must be The Order. Hermione surmised.

"Wait, 'finally woke up'?" She frowned. "Have I been asleep for long?"

"Miss Granger has been asleeping for two days, miss, that's why!" Remy exclaimed. He may have had a deeper voice, but he had the usual cheerful, house-elf mannerisms, despite living with Snape for who knows how long.

Hermione's eyes widened, she had been asleep for two days? No wonder her hair had been as bad as it had, oh well, she didn't regret her hasty decision to cut her hair, she was a witch after all, she could grow it back at any time. But for now, Hermione liked her short hair.

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><p>To say that Professor Snape's library was extensive would be an understatement. After eating her fill of Remy's sandwiches, Hermione had decided to explore her surroundings. She had already seen the first floor when coming down to eat, it wasn't much, a kitchen, mud room, sitting room, entryway, and dining room. The third floor only held bedrooms, and linen closets. It was the second floor that had intrigued Hermione.<p>

She had climbed the stairs to see a long hallway, ignoring the feeling that she shouldn't be poking around her professor's home, she opened the first door on the left. Expecting to see a study or drawing room, Hermione instead opened the door to find a library that almost rivaled her beloved sanctuary at Hogwarts. The room was perhaps one hundred paces wide, and long, and had bookshelves lining three entire walls, with the fourth wall, the east, with a large fireplace and comfortable looking sitting area. There was a large portrait of a sleeping, stern-looking man above the fireplace mantle whom Hermione assumed to be the first Prince. In the center of the library were thirty-six, freestanding, double-sided bookshelves arranged in six rows of six. All the bookshelves were over two meters tall and filled with books. Her eyes grew as big as galleons as she trailed her fingers across the leather spines of the books. Her grief of her parents temporarily quelled as she browsed the shelves.

One title caught Hermione's eye, she pulled the old vellum script off the shelf and wandered to a soft looking chair a few shelves back. Opening The Decline of Pagan Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, Hermione started reading:

Christianity itself has been perceived at times as a form of polytheism by followers of the other Abrahamic religions because of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (which at first glance might suggest Tritheism,) or the celebration of pagan feast days and other practices – through a process described as "baptizing" or "Christianization". Even between Christians there have been similar charges of idolatry leveled, especially by Protestants, towards the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches for their veneration of the saints and images. Some scholars think that the essential doctrines of Christianity have been influenced by pre-Christianity, paganism, or European occults.

She quickly became so engrossed in the theory and principle behind Paganistic and Catholic religions affecting the view, power, and technique of magical ability, that by the time Hermione had finished, it was suppertime. Hermione noted her growling stomach, still not satisfied by its lack of food for two days. Replacing the Paganistic book back in its place, Hermione made her way back downstairs.

Just as Hermione was rounding the corner off of the stairwell to get to the kitchen, the front door slammed open with a ferocity only seen in the potions room at Hogwarts, and Professor Snape strode in. Startled, Hermione froze like the proverbial, 'deer in the headlights'.

"Sir?"

"Miss Granger, I see you are awake, good, that saves me valuable time." Snape drawled. "I must leave again, which I'm sure, devastates you," He droned, sarcastically. " I will be back by morning, stay inside Prince Manor, do not open the door for any reason. Additionally, your friends," he spat. "wrote to you and I have been tasked with delivering their, no doubt, paltry, attempts to console you." In two quick strides, he handed her two letters, before turning away.

"Sir,-" Hermione protested. He didn't stop to listen to her, instead sweeping past her up the stairs. Hermione stood there, somehow unable to move though no spell was cast on her, until Professor Snape came striding down the stairs, dressed in his Death Eater robes and carrying his mask.

Very deliberately, he looked at the Gryffindor girl and said, "Do not leave this house." Before Disapparating right in front of her. Shocked, Hermione stood there in the hallway, clutching her letters, before finally giving herself a mental shake and made her way to the kitchen for supper.


	6. Chapter 6: Fathers and Mothers

**A few things, first, I'm sorry for taking so long, this chapter just wasn't flowing like the rest. And anyone who's ever written from Severus Snape's point of view knows how **_**bloody**_** hard it is. Second, most of you have probably realized that the Death Eater robes are reminiscent to those of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). I just have. Third, I'm on Thanksgiving break now, so I'll have more time to write and post! And lastly, I absolutely hate the first half of this chapter, it was so hard to write and I don't want to fiddle with it anymore, so here you go.**

**Thank you Sassyluv and Gingerstorm101 for the sweet reviews!**

**Questions, Comments, Concerns? Review, Favorite, and Follow!**

**Happy Thanksgiving to those that observe it!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 5, 1997 (Evening)<strong>

Snape could honestly say that he despised Death Eater gatherings. The only marginally satisfying thing that came out of enduring those conventions was that he usually departed with several new profane terms against Potter.

"This year, Potter will be a man," The Dark Lord said softly. "No more is he the child I have previously faced, now we will see who is truly stronger!" Voldemort smiled benevolently as the gathered Death Eaters cheered. Though Snape knew this 'kindness' belied the madman that prowled just below the surface.

After an hour of ranting about how he was going to kill Potter, and seven new curse words later, Voldemort dismissed everyone in favor of Snape. The two wizards reconvened in the study of Riddle Manor. _The old snake does have a sense of irony after all,_ Snape thought, behind his Occlumency shields. _If he's taken over his muggle father's home._

"No doubt you have heard rumors of your father's return, Severus?" The red-eyed creature stated, though it was phrased as a question.

Yes master," Snape bowed his head in acquisition, though careful to keep his face blank.

"Ah, you do not seem to be pleased by this, dear Severus, why is that?" Voldemort tilted his head to the side, his red eyes slightly closing in confusion. If he were less reptilian, it would seem almost genuine, though as it was, it made Severus internally cringe.

"He, a muggle, killed my mother, a witch." Severus said stiffly.

"And that is yet another thing we have in common, my spy," Voldemort nodded. " My sire, the previous owner of this fine place," He gestured to the decor, which had fallen into disrepair once Voldemort… acquired it. "Who had also been a muggle, killed my mother, a witch." Seeing Snape's neutral expression, Voldemort continued.

"Does it surprise you, Severus? To hear that, like you, I am also a half-blood?"

"Yes, my lord." Snape muttered. _No, my lord. Dumbledore has told me much, in your absence._

"Yes!" Voldemort exclaimed. "My blood is not as pure as your brother's and sister's believe it to be. Though it is not our fault, no. Our mother's were weak-willed, yours, a woman from a prominent, pure, family, her magic quelled by a muggle factory worker." Severus held his rage in check. "And mine, a descendant of Slytherin himself, whoring herself out for a muggle, then allowing him to live when he left. I had to kill him, you know, it was the summer between my sixth and seventh year of Hogwarts. I came across him quite by accident, I had to heard of a family heirloom in this town that was rightfully mine. And after I acquired it, I looked for a place to keep it, for if Dumbledore ever saw it, I felt certain that he would try and remove it from my person. I searched this town and came across a house, _this_ house. Curiously with the same surname as I: Riddle. Upon entering, I was apprehended by a man who looked like an older version of myself, at the time. I killed him, of course."

"Of course," murmured Snape.

"But only after interrogating him," The human-snake said flippantly. "Once I got the information I needed, I disposed of him." Voldemort finished.

Snape sat quietly, as if contemplating this sudden onset of information from his ever so secretive master.

"Leave, Severus, go home." The Dark Lord ordered. Severus Snape bowed and Disapparated, thinking: _He didn't really give me much on Tobias, but I left with much more information that I didn't expect._

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><p>Back at Prince Manor, Severus wearily made his way to the kitchen, where he knew Remy would have a hot meal for him.<p>

Passing through the sitting room, he noticed a lump of blankets huddled on one of the couches in front of the fireplace, suspicious, Severus stepped closer. Looking down, he saw Hermione Granger nestled under an afghan, wet lashes from tears clumped her eyelashes, which were dark smudges on her cheeks, her bottom lip stuck out in a pout, and Severus could see crumpled pages that must have been the letters form the Weasley boy and Potter.

He didn't know why he didn't wake her, yell at her for falling asleep in his sitting room, but he let her sleep. Then, as if under the Imperious, Severus extended one, long, pale finger and flicked an errant curl away from her face. Then Snape was back, scowling at her sleeping form, which was not as satisfying as it would have undoubtedly be if she were awake, and swept away to the kitchen for his supper.


	7. Chapter 7: A Normal Day

**Hello everyone! I'm really sorry for the wait, I know I said I'd have the next chapter up over break last week, but I had an AP U.S. History project to do (which is still not completely finished and it's due today!), then it was Thanksgiving and I couldn't get on the computer, then after thanksgiving it was just really hard to write. But I beat this chapter out of my head and onto the computer, so here ya go! **

**Enjoy Chapter 7!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(Edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 6, 1997<strong>

Hermione was in the kitchen, eating breakfast when Remus came back. Hermione examined him over her cup of coffee, he looked ragged, even for someone who had taken the Wolfsbane potion, scratches were scabbing over on his face and one of his fingers looked dislocated.

"Are you okay, Professor?" Hermione asked delicately, frowning in concern.

He chuckled ruefully, "I'm not your Professor anymore Hermione, you can call me Remus, like everyone else." Hermione smiled. "And as for the state I'm in, let's just say that wolves, normal ones, dislike my kind, and I just so happened to come across a pack of them in the forest I decided to use." He tried to pick up a cup of hot chocolate with his injured hand and hissed in pain.

"Here, let me," Hermione stood up and pointed her wand at Remus' dislocated finger. "Episkey." The digit clicked into place and Remus sighed in relief.

"Thanks, I wasn't sure how I was going to fix that using my left hand," He flexed his fingers experimentally. "Do you have the last two copies of the Prophet? I, ah, missed it."

Hermione smiled sympathetically and pointed to a bin peeking out of the mud room. "Check in there." Hermione went back to her coffee and eggs that Remy made while Remus dug through the stockpile of newspapers.

They were interrupted again when Snape came in, or rather, stumbled. The man looked just as bad as Lupin, but she didn't offer to heal him, it was exhaustion he was suffering from, not physical injuries.

He made his way to the table, eyes barely open and slumped in a chair. Snapping his fingers, Remy popped in with a steaming cup of coffee and disapparated again, leaving the coffee. Professor Snape sat there for a moment until the scent of the beverage registered to his senses before robotically picking up the steaming cup and gulping it down. Hermione surreptitiously watched with a kind of morbid fascination as her Professor slowly came to life, straightening in his seat and seeming to inflate as he glared at his surroundings. When an owl flew up to the window and tapped its beak on the glass, Snape strode over to the bird and let it in, feeding it a slice of bacon from a platter on the counter, stroking the bird as he untied the newspaper from its leg and put a couple bronze knuts in the pouch on its other leg.

"Why do you have so many bloody papers?" Remus complained, coming back with the two copies he missed. "You probably have every paper from the time we graduated until now in that bin."

"I find they can be very useful." Snape drawled, taking a sip of his refilled cup of coffee and flipping the Daily Prophet open.

"Er, Professor, when you've finished with the paper, could I have it next?" Hermione asked hesitantly, she fussed with a short piece of her newly shorn hair.

"You may." Was all he said.

"Blimey, how could I not have noticed, Hermione what did you do to your hair?" Ever the oblivious male, Remus exclaimed. "It's so short!"

Hermione blushed pink. "I just got mad at it, it wouldn't untangle so I took a pair of shears to it," Hermione self-consciously patted her hair. "Does it look alright? It was a bit of a hasty decision."

"Er, well, it's nice?" Remus fumbled, not quite sure how to express his thoughts in a way that wouldn't make Hermione mad. There was nothing wrong with her hair, he just didn't know what he should say

"It looks fine, you can stop patting yourself like an ape looking for ticks." Both Hermione and Remus stared incredulously at the pair of pale hands holding the paper.

Hermione looked at Remus and raised her eyebrows in surprise, did Professor Snape just...compliment me? Remus shrugged and shook his head in wonder, I have no clue.

After breakfast, Remus went to Grimmauld Place for Order duties and Snape disappeared in the basement for Potion brewing and Hermione was left to her own devices, and being the studious girl that she was, decided to start her summer assignments in the Library on the second floor.

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><p>Remus was tired. It was just after lunch and they'd been there all morning. The Order was no closer to coming up with a good plan. The inner circle was trying to find a safe way for Harry to find and destroy the Horcruxes. After Dumbledore's death at the hands of Snape, and the former Headmaster's portrait was hung in the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore's portrait had become more open about Order business and what needed to happen. Remus wasn't quite sure how painted Dumbledore knew as much as the real Dumbledore had, but he didn't question it, he wasn't likely to be manipulating them, at least not any more than he had when alive. The Order had received a handwritten missive from the man, or rather an owl, which was supposed to deliver the letter upon a month's anniversary of his death, explaining the circumstances of his death and that 'The man known as Severus Tobias Snape was not to be punished, nor held responsible for my demise, however much the evidence may point to him.' Harry had been allowed to see that section of the confession which cooled his furious anger at the man who he had seen murder his role model and had even awkwardly apologized for attacking Snape during the fray. Though Snape didn't acknowledge his apology or accept it, nor deny it, they both acted like the entire thing had not happened, however, Harry had been making an effort, and quite a large one at that, Remus thought wryly, to be less antagonistic towards the man whenever they happened to cross paths.<p>

"Well, we might as well adjourn for today," Minerva sighed wearily, it was only summer and the Scottish woman was already showing signs of deep fatigue. McGonagall had not even started being a true Headmistress.

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><p>Severus was uncommonly relieved. He had not been injured at anytime during the meeting with the Dark Lord, which was a good enough reason to start a batch of Felix Felicis, which required a normal streak of luck in order to brew. When it came time to insert the memory of the lucky time, Severus extracted the memory, a smirk tugging at his lips, though a softer one than any student had ever seen at Hogwarts, it could have almost been a twisted, half smile. When the memory touched the surface of the potion, it shimmered, showing the scene much like a Pensieve.<p>

As he had been leaving the presence of the Dark Lord, the snake had called out to him.

"My Severus, should the Defense Against the Dark Arts position be offered to you, I wish for you to decline it. I did not curse the position as many think, but it would do well to let them continue to think that." Snape paused at the door and nodded in understanding.

It was that admittance that made Severus intrigued, if the Dark Lord hadn't cursed the position, then why had there never been repeating Professors for the DADA position? Definitely something to think about. Setting the fire on the Liquid Luck to simmer, Severus went upstairs to the kitchen for supper.

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><p>The three inhabitants of Prince Manor were having their first supper together and this was a monumental occurrence because supper would not always be this peaceful.<p>

"What do you mean I'm not allowed to leave? I can't go anywhere at all?" Hermione exclaimed.

"It means, that you cannot leave this house. You were placed under my protection, and as much as I exalt in opening my home to one of my juvenile tormentors, I trust that you will not take offence if I seem to detest having an egregious know-it-all in my house―my Sanctum Sanctorum, if you will―so if you wish to survive an attack from my father, I suggest you DO AS I SAY!" By the end, Snape was yelling. Hermione still had fire in her eyes, though it had dimmed, and Remus was trying to keep the peace between the other two Wizardfolk.

"Severus, couldn't she have supervised outings, it seems unfair that she should spend all her time sequestered away like some princess in a tower, guarded by a bat and a wolf. Let the girl have her summer holiday, Merlin knows she's earned a few months of leisure." Remus appealed. However, both Remus and Hermione's hopes were dashed with Snape's conclusive 'no' that brooked no further argument.

Snape stood and left the table, heading back down to the basement to continue his brewing, leaving his food untouched.

Hermione and Remus sat at the table in heavy silence.

"So how are you and Tonks faring?" Hermione asked, internally flinching at the stupidity of the question, she really hated silences, she had always felt the need to fill it with something.

"Eh? Oh, we-we're fine, though I- nothing, we're fine." Remus answered, turning a bit pink.

"Oh, well that's good...How is everyone at the Order meeting doing?"

"All fine."

"Good."

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><p><strong>So, just found out that Snape was supposed to be cast by Tim Roth, from Lie to Me and Planet of the Apes, but decided to do PotA instead. Is it just me, or would Roth be a better Snape? (no offense Alan Rickman! *cowers in fear*)<strong>

**Thank you everyone for Reviewing, and Favoriting, and Following! **

**Questions? Comments? Questions? put them in the box below!**


	8. Chapter 8: Nightmares and Libraries

**Yeah, I'm back, really sorry about this delay, I wish I could tell you that I've been madly writing ahead or that I've got a big, giant chapter for you, but really, holiday came up and I just wanted to relax, along with the virtually incurable Writer's Block syndrome as well as Real Life issues.**

**But enough of my puny excuses, the next chapter is here!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(Edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 7, 1997<strong>

Hermione was having another nightmare, she was watching her parents' death, and though she hadn't been there personally, she had briefly seen the aftermath. Her parents had suffered many lacerations and bruising to their skin, and their jaws had been torn open, their teeth ripped out and scattered around their bodies, and their eyes scored out of their sockets. One of Hermione's father's eyes was still attached by the strand of nerve endings, burst blood vessels staining the eye red and pink and the pupil bleeding into the hazel iris, resting on his stubbled cheek. Hermione had spun away and dashed into the kitchen, retching and sobbing. When she finished dry heaving into the sink, she had looked up to see her cat soaking in a pot on the stove, dead. She had resumed gagging in the sink, Professor McGonagall rubbing her back comfortingly.

Sobbing and gasping, Hermione woke in her bed at Prince Manor, she checked that the Muffliato charm was still in place, despite her reluctance to use any spells from that deplorable Half-Blood Prince book that Harry had used last term -even though she now knew who the book belonged to- she couldn't help but think that Professor Snape had been a genius when creating some of those spells. The Muffliato charm was certainly useful for blocking out the noise in the common room, or her bedroom when she was having nightmares, like the past three nights.

Knowing that she wouldn't get any more sleep that night, and it was only two in the morning, Hermione got out of bed, wrapped herself in her dressing robe, and made her way downstairs to the library.

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><p>Severus had been studying in the main library when he was interrupted by a certain Gryffindor.<p>

"You really should let her leave the house, or at least let her into the garden," Remus said.

"No."

Remus sighed. "She's a responsible girl. For Merlin's sake, the Ministry let her have a Time Turner in her third year! We can surely trust her to be outside for a bit, she's a teenage girl, a witch! Not some fragile piece of glass to break a the slightest breeze, she's hardly weak and she's smart too, didn't she figure out your potions riddle in her first year?"

"Anyone with a brain could have figured that out, it is only logic," Snape growled. "And did you not almost kill her in her third year?" Remus winced. " Miss Granger may be slightly more competent than her peers, but she will stay inside, where it is safe, no matter that everything in a three kilometer perimeter is warded, I will not be responsible for a teenage girl who brought this upon herself. She should have thought about the consequences." He spat.

"You don't mean that, how could she know- how could anyone know- that your father was in Australia? You can't seriously blame her for her parents deaths, it's completely unwarranted! She is more than able to protect herself should anything happen, even you cannot deny her experience and abilities, she's just as involved in this as Harry and even though you may not approve of them, you are all still on the same side, fighting for the same end. She's fought and lost, and almost died! Severus, this girl is only eighteen, and yet she's experienced so much more than us when we were that age." Remus pleaded.

"No, at her age, I was getting the Dark Mark and killing Muggles and Muggle-borns, you were at James's and Lily's wedding and joining The Order. fighting a few Death Eaters and narrowly escaping death each time is of no matter." Snape snapped.

"So this is still about Lily?" Remus said quietly. Unseen, rage lit in Severus' eyes. "Because you couldn't protect your friend, you're keeping her son's friend safe? Doing for Hermione what you couldn't do for Lily."

Looking out the window, at the dark sky, he bit, "No. I am keeping a future member of The Order, and a student, safe, as per our instructions. Goodnight Lupin, until tomorrow."

After his former classmate had left, Severus' shoulders slumped. He stared into the fire, dark eyes reflecting only the fire. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

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><p>Hermione tiptoed into the library to wait out the night. She felt calmer near the books, ages of knowledge and wisdom just seemed to make Hermione feel better. She crept closer to the fire grate near the back, wanting to try and Floo call Harry or Ron, Remus had told her that they were staying at Grimmauld Place until the weekend, she really missed her two best friends since all she had heard from them was from their letters trying to console her about her parents deaths and every time she tried to write them back she couldn't find the words.<p>

Approaching the fireplace, Hermione shuffled her hands over the mantle, searching for the pot of silver Floo powder.

"It's not there." A low voice said.

Hermione gasped and turned around, startled. "S-sir, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, I was just-"

"Obviously." Professor Snape drawled. "You were looking for Floo powder so you could get out and undeniably cause havoc with Potter and Weasley." He was sitting in a chair hidden in the shadows, dressed, as always, in his black teaching robes.

"No, I-"

"The only place in this house that has a Floo connection is my private study," He said each syllable with terrifying precision.

"Sir, I was just trying to contact my friends, to let them know I'm alright, I wasn't going to walk through." She pleaded.

"And for some reason I find this an unlikely action, you could have written a letter, which is a much better excuse to be awake and about at two o'clock in the morning."

"Sorry Professor," Hermione said meekly.

"Off with you."

"Yes, sir." Hermione backed away towards the Library doors when she stopped suddenly.

"Sir?" She asked hesitantly, her 'Gryffindor courage' abandoned after her nightmare and the unexpected encounter.

"What." Unfeeling. Cold.

"Forgive me for asking, but… didn't your mother suffer the same fate as my parents?" Hermione looked anxiously at her professor. "What did you do after?"

"Go," He said quietly. That was what made him the scariest teacher, his ability to keep a level head when angry, with the exception of when he had found Harry, Ron, Sirius, Remus and her in the Shrieking Shack in their Third year, he had seemed almost crazed.

"Sir," She gently protested.

"Now!" She left.

When her hurried footsteps faded away, Severus dropped his head into his hands.

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><p><strong>In case you didn't get it, Hermione has a nightmare, goes to the library, then it switches to Severus' point of view, earlier in the evening, then fast forwards back to Hermione going into the Library at two in the morning.<strong>

**That's all for now, Review and all that, please!**


	9. Chapter 9: Deals and Mysterious Men

**Hello again! I will be updating again pretty regularly now, all drama in outside life has ceased and I can now mosly concentrate on writing and posting, yay! Here's the next chapter, thanks everyone who reviewed last chapter, put any comments, questions, or concerns in the review box below!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 8, 1997<strong>

"You may leave the house."

Hermione started, dropping her spoon in her oatmeal. "Wha-"

"Supervised, outings."

"Erm, really?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide unable to believe her luck. Maybe now I can see Harry and Ron.

"You will stay inside the wards, there is a three-kilometer perimeter around the property." The Professor leaned against the counter sipping a cup of coffee pre-prepared by Remy.

"What!" Hermione was wide awake now. "Only three kilometers? That's hardly better than being trapped in here!" She protested.

"Oi, what's with the yelling? What's happened now?" " Remus asked, squinting blearily as he came into the kitchen.

Hermione cried, "Professor Snape says the farthest I can go is three kilometers outside, and I have to be supervised at all times!" at the same time Snape calmly said, "None of your concern."

The Lycanthrope looked between the student and teacher, evaluating both of their responses before sighing deeply and sitting at the table. "At least let her go into town supervised, she may want some supplies that you don't have, and I trust her to be left alone while inside the wards."

"Absolutely not. She will not be going into town if she needs something she can make a list and one of us can get the things." He growled.

"She is right here, and can hear everything you're saying about her," Hermione grumbled. "And I do need to go to the store, unless one of you _men_ would like to go shopping for feminine products by yourselves…." She trailed off meaningfully and inwardly smirked when she noticed Remus flinch and Snape's Adam's Apple bob up and down.

"Fine, you may go to the store once, every other week, with Lupin and I, no more, no less." He fumed, obviously sore that his will was being contested in his own home, but he definitely didn't want to purchase her feminine products for her.

The rest of the morning passed normally, except for an animated Hermione, who skipped around the place, short hair bouncing around behind her and jotting down things she would need to buy on a folded piece of parchment, while Severus sulked in the basement, brewing potions, and Remus went to another Order meeting.

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><p>Somewhere in a bucolic area of Russia, two figures met in a thickly wooded copse of trees.<p>

"You have killed the Mudblood's parentsss?" The tall, pale one hissed.

"Yes, my lord, and they believe it was me, as well, but do not know of my… abilities." The hunched figure hunched more and scraped a foot through the icy turf in submission.

The tall figure hissed in delight. "Good, stay hidden until instructed otherwise."

"Yes, master." The hunched figure bowed low. "Master, my son…"

"Ah, yes, your son." The pale man voiced graciously. "He has done well in my ranks. He has risen quite swiftly and holds his position and power closely. Many of my other acolytes could stand to follow his lead. You should be honored to have a son such as him."

"I am, master. I reared the hellion, set 'im on the path to what he is now." The hunched man boasted.

The other man calmly took out his bone white wand and Crucioed his companion. As the smaller man shrieked in pain, the torturer told him, "Do not presume that which you do not have all the facts." He released his hold over the trembling man on the ground. "I will have another assignment for you within the week, get it done and return to your hole, worm!" Then he Disapparated with a CRACK!

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><p><strong>Sorry for the short chapter, there will be a time skip in the next chapter, I promise! (and hopefully it will be longer too?)<strong>

**P.S. Any guesses on who the mysterious hunched man is? Make your guess down below or shoot me a PM :)**

**Thanks for reading everyone :)**

**~Creelluka**


	10. Chapter 10: Shopping and Death

***grunt* *sniffle* I'm still alive! I would have posted this earlier but I was struck with food poisoning AND the stomach flu and have been giving offerings to the White God (AKA Porcelain Throne) for the past week and sleeping, and missing a week of school.**

**Anyway, I'm not that happy with the first half (the shopping half) because I wrote that second and while sick, so yeah, and the second half is kind of angst-y, so there's that. But enough about that! Thank you for all the Reviews, Follows and Favorites! Keep it up!**

**~Creelluka**

**(Edited as of 10-3-2105)**

**If you've come here from chapter 16, you can just read until the first page break line!**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer : I made up Spirit Flowers, but other than that I don't own anything. Also, 'The Book of Artifacts' is from Dungeons &amp; Dragons and 'Identifying and Breaking Curses' is by John Eckhardt.<strong>

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><p><strong>July 17, 1997<strong>

Hermione's Hogwarts letter was delivered to her room that morning and though she and Ron were still planning on running away with Harry, she still planned on buying her supplies. Who knew, maybe there would be some helpful spells in the 'Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7' or something about destroying Dark Artifacts in 'The Book of Artifacts' and 'Curse-Breaking: Identifying and Breaking Curses.' Plus it would seem strange if she didn't buy her supplies, especially since this was the day of her first outing. She could always put off sending her Confirmation of Attendance letter since she didn't plan on actually attending (some things were actually more important than school, and keeping Harry and Ron from poisoning themselves or getting killed is one of them). But as she looked over her letter again, she noticed something different about the letter. At the top it read as the Headmistress being Minerva McGonagall, followed by her titles, but at the bottom was the spidery signature of 'Severus Snape, Deputy Headmaster.'

_Oh Merlin and God, both. What will Harry and Ron do when they read their letters? And how am I supposed to keep our plans for running away secret from a known, powerful Legilimens?_

Looking at the papers in her hand, she realized there was something she missed, another letter behind her school supplies list that when she read it, she groaned in disappointment.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the prestigious position of Head Girl of Hogwarts. Your academic record, positive feedback from your fellow Prefects and classmates, and your overall _upholdment_ of this Institution's values have spoken for themselves. You have proven that you can lead others, solve any issue you may encounter, and able to use logic to complete any objective you are given._

_We are certain you will continue to be a model for your peers and take your new responsibilities seriously. Enclosed you will find your Head Girl badge which should be worn on your school robes at all times. Congratulations on your achievement, please owl if you have any questions or concerns._

_Sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Hermione groaned again, she would have to owl Professor McGonagall and decline the position, there couldn't _not_ be a Head Girl, and McGonagall would need time to find a new candidate.

She took a piece of parchment from the desk, one not marked with failed attempts at her parents eulogies, and penned a quick letter to the Headmistress.

_Dear Headmistress,_

_I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept the position of Head Girl, I apologize for any inconvenience but I plan to concentrate on my studies and I feel that the demanding position of Head Girl would keep me from doing my best._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione Granger_

It pained her to do so, she had always wanted to be Head Girl ever since she found out about Hogwarts but with Voldemort and the Horcruxes still in the world, some things were more important than being Head Girl. She sent her refusal back to Hogwarts with the same owl and moved to get ready for her shopping trip.

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><p>"There, now no one will recognize you." Remus said, satisfied. He had just put the finishing touches on the glamours that disguised Hermione.<p>

She looked in her pocket mirror at her new face. Remus had turned her choppy brown hair black, her eyes were changed to a dark brown, her skin had been changed to a full shade lighter. Remus had also done some complicated charms to change her entire facial structure so that her face was more squared, her lips thinned, and her nose was sharper. All in all, Hermione Granger looked like the teenage daughter of Severus Snape. A terrifying thought and image indeed, for both Hermione, the wearer of the glamour, and for Severus, when he saw her glamour.

"Just what possessed you to think that this," he gestured to Hermione. "Would be acceptable, wolf?" He had growled.

"You two are going to get the shopping done and I'm going to be watching the perimeter, I thought that it would be better if Hermione were disguised and looked similar to you, it would look less suspicious. This way, she can pretend to be your daughter or niece, and no one would be the wiser." Remus calmly explained, darkening Hermione's hair a bit more.

"Remus, you are being excessive. I don't need to be 'related' to Professor Snape, a regular glamour would work just as well." Hermione argued and Snape grunted his agreement.

"Too late, get your bag Hermione, time to go!" Remus said cheerfully, pocketing his wand. Both Hermione and Snape scowled.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, the three of them were in the front yard of Prince manor, ready to Apparate to the next Muggle town over, Guildford. Cokeworth was an ugly place, filled with factories and industries, and people who were doomed to failure. Not at all suitable for their day's agenda.<p>

They were all dressed in their Muggle clothes, Hermione-still glamoured as a Snape- was wearing a modest denim skirt and green T-shirt with cloth trainer's. Remus in a faded red button-up with the sleeves rolled up a bit, and pressed denims, and surprisingly, had donned a pair of sunshades.

Severus was the most surprising Muggle dressed of the three, probably because Hermione had never seen him out of his teaching robes, even in his own home. Well, except for when he had woken her up from her first nightmare, that first night to give her the Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep Potion. But even then he had been wearing a black dressing gown and Hermione had not been nearly as observant then, in the dark, crying in terror, as she was now, in the light, outside. No, she had had no reason to see her Professor not in his intimidating, swathing robes, so of course she was immensely surprised to see how different he looked.

Dressed simply in black slacks and a dark grey button-up, he was a little shorter than usual without his dragonskin boots, but his posture and broad shoulders made up for that fact. He was clearly uncomfortable with the amount of scrutiny he was receiving from Remus and Hermione, for he demanded irritably, "Can we go now?" Hermione and Remus composed themselves and fidgeted guiltily, Hermione inspecting a short black strand of hair that had escaped its bobby pin, and Remus cleaning his sun shades. Severus internally scoffed.

* * *

><p>When Hermione got her bearings after Apparating- she had always hated the feeling of being squeezed out of a toothpaste tube- she was surprised to see that they were behind a Marks &amp; Spencer's store.<p>

"Marks & Spencer's, Professor?" she asked, a smile gracing her lips.

Snape didn't say anything, instead striding away towards the front of the shopping complex.

The shopping trip started out well enough, Hermione got her toiletries and feminine products, occasionally seeing Remus out of the corner of her eye, apparently doing his own shopping. Professor Snape trailed after her, for all purposes looking like a dejected father taking his daughter shopping, inevitably thinking of the amount on the tiller at the end. Though Hermione had assured him that she had the funds to pay for everything she needed (an emergency credit card from her parents).

"I need to get some robes for the wedding and my Hogwarts supplies from Diagon Alley, would that be possible?" She asked, considering a blouse before putting it back.

"Might as well." He said, monotonously.

* * *

><p>Returning to Prince Manor, all three occupants were exhausted, stumbling up to their rooms for an early night. Shopping was tiring. Hermione had gotten everything she needed, Remus, it turns out, actually had done some shopping while in the Marks &amp; Spencers, and Severus had bought some reagents from an apothecary on the edges of Knockturn Alley while Remus and Hermione looked at books and tried on dress robes for Bill and Fleur's wedding.<p>

Well, all but one got sleep. Severus was clutching his forearm and apparating to the Dark Lord.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter sat frozen in his chair at the kitchen table of Grimmauld Place, shocked. "They're dead."<p>

"Mister Potter, I'm sorry for your loss, yes, they were killed sometime after the fifteenth-"

"And you've just got around to telling me!" Harry hollered, interrupting McGonagall, who pursed her lips.

"The Order only found out early this morning, Mister Potter, the assigned surveillance detail was only required to check on them every few days. They were well off on the day of, but then they were found dead this morning. The Order will provide a service-Muggle of course- for your Aunt, Uncle and cousin, and you will be allowed to go-with protection- to their funeral."

"Thank you, Professor, may I be excused now? I kind of need to process a bit." Harry asked numbly.

Professor McGonagall's expression softened, "Of course, Mister Potter, take the time you need."

Harry nodded and excused himself to the back garden.

Of course, the 'garden' was really more like a large, dead, courtyard-sized planter box, decorated with the skeletal clumps of dead rose bushes and neglected magical plants. Harry ignored them all, instead weaving through a curtain of dead ivy that hid the real reason Harry went to the garden. Sirius' flower.

Every wizard has a flower and when they die, it grows in the place where their tie to the world was strongest. Harry had found Sirius' completely by accident, he had been wandering around searching for a quiet place where he could be alone and had discovered the small alcove behind the lattice of dead ivy. Sirius' flowers were small buds that when flowering, were four, red petals with a second, inner layer of golden yellow petals-Gryffindor colors- and small green leaves that had purple edges. They were called Epimedium Grandiflorum, or fairy wings, or Sirius. Harry kneeled in front of the small patch of flowers now, whispering to them his feelings.

"They're dead, Sirius. My last family members are dead. I know they were horrible to me, shutting me up under the stairs, then locking me in Dudley's room of junk, but they were still family, they fed me enough to survive, and got me my glasses, and clothed me, even gave me money to buy gifts for holidays, and I got a couple presents from them as well. Did you know that of all my years at Hogwarts, I got a fifty pence piece, a toothpick, and a tissue from them for Christmas?" Harry chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah, and they put bars on my window for half the summer before my second year.

"Uncle Vernon may have knocked me around some, but that's nothing to what Voldemort's done. And the brief time I was there four weeks ago, Dudley was actually being decent! And now they're dead, just like Hermione's parents." Harry bowed his head. Why did such hardships always occur to him and the people around him? His parents were dead and all his extended family because they had protected him, Cedric was at the wrong place at the wrong time, Sirius himself died saving Harry at the Ministry, Dumbledore was gone, jumped off the Astronomy tower. Hermione's parents were dead, and now Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin were dead, all because of their association with him.

"Sirius, what do I do next? Dumbledore is gone. What chance do I have of defeating Voldemort if Dumbledore, the one person that he feared, killed himself? I don't have one. I don't know what to do Sirius, what do I do?" Harry sobbed.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading! I'll have the next chapter up when it's up!<strong>

**P.S. For all those that guessed Tobias? Ding, ding, ding! CORRECT!**

**You'll see more of him later.**

**~Creelluka**


	11. Chapter 11: Essay's and Wills

**Writer ahoy! I'm back, Life overwhelmed me with lemons; I tried to make Lemonade, but alas, I am a horrible cook/baker/chef and I came up with a horrible combination of olive oil, a semi-vituperative brother, kale and apple salad, ice skating, a boyfriend :) , and this chapter!**

** So because I watch my Views, Favorites, Follows, and Reviews like a fiend, This fic has JUST OVER twelve thousand hits (12,000+), over a hundred Followers (100+), and almost fifty (50) Reviews and Favorites! You amazing, wonderful, human creature-beings, I love you all in a non creepy/paedophilic way!**

** Now, on to chapter 11! Reviews are accepted as payment, so Review, Favorite and Follow, if you have any Questions, Comments or Concerns, please PM me!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(edited as of 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 22, 1998<strong>

"Professor, I was wondering if I could turn in my Potions essay early? I've finished it." Hermione asked brightly. It was four days after the shopping trip and the three were eating a delicious lunch prepared by Remy.

"And why would I allow that, Miss Granger?" Snape drawled, one eyebrow raised sardonically. Remus frowned in thought.

"Because it would be one less essay for you to grade when term starts up again," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

"Hermione, it's only been about four weeks since Hogwarts let out, you're finished already?" Remus asked.

"Well I've had little else to do," she looked pointedly at Snape, who ignored her. "And I always start my assignments right after they're assigned, but you're probably right." She turned to Remus and said, "Would you like to proofread my essay, Remus? It's on the effects of Hellebore and Stinkhorn mushroom in the Tincture of Immolation versus the Decanter of Cloning, isn't that right Professor?" She looked haughtily to Snape, who continued to ignore her.

Remus' eyes were wide, "You gave them that for their summer assignment?" He asked incredulously.

"Only for the N.E.W.T. class. I gave an essay on Cerise root and Venomous Tentacula seeds in Liquid Luck." Snape said dispassionately. Remus gaped.

"But-but that's all beyond the required level for N.E.W.T.s or on-level courses, that's like Apprentice level potioneering…" Remus trailed off in shock, shaking his head.

Hermione was intrigued now. "You mean all this time we've been ahead in our potions?" Snape nodded dispassionately.

"Starting in third year I raise the standard and teach the potions that, in other magical education institutes, would be taught in their fourth year, thus, Hogwarts' exemplary potions scores. But some students," which was said in a way as to be synonymous to dunderheads, and Neville Longbottom, "lack the capacity to gather the correct ingredients andㅡ" He was interrupted by Remy popping into the eating area.

"Pardon me, there's is a Nymphadora Tonks requesting passages through the Floo's." The house elf announced formally.

At this news, Remus turned an interesting shade of red and bolted up the stairs to the second floor. A minute later he bellows, "SNAPE, UNLOCK THE DOOR SO I CAN SEE MY FIANCE!" Hermione cracked a smile and Severus discreetly rolled his eyes and muttered a few unintelligible words under his breath. The upstairs door was heard opening, not a minute later it slammed shut.

asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;'

Ten minutes later, they were all seated at the kitchen table again. Tonks practically in Remus' lap, Hermione to the left of Remus, and Severus as far away as possible, while still sitting at the small table.

"Oh my Merlin, Hermione! What the hell did you do to your hair!?" Tonks had squealed as soon as she had seen Hermione. She had also turned her hair to match the young Gryffindor's, though it was bubble gum pink in color.

"Oh, I got mad and just started chopping it off with the shears," Hermione said sheepishly.

"I love it!"

"Thanks."

"So how are you doing, Hermione?" Tonks asked casually. Too casually. Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"I'm fine," Hermione said casually. Too casually. All three adults narrowed their eyes suspiciously. Except for Snape, he didn't care at all, the light had just stung his eyes for a moment.

"Right. Well, you probably won't be after this: your parents' Will has been found and reviewed, so now all that's left is to tell you what's in it."

"Erm, alright." Hermione started at the frankness Tonks used in regard to her parents deaths. It was actually refreshing, Hermione was tired of being tiptoed around like she would burst into tears at any moment, which was possible, but she still appreciated Tonks' effort or possible lack of effort.

"Uh, Remus, would you like to do the honors? I'm afraid I'm not so good at this formal stuff." The Will was passed to Remus and he cleared his throat, preparing to read.

" 'This is the Last Will and Testament, made by Daniel Lee Granger of 325 Greenchurch Plaza, Epsom, Surrey.

" 'I revoke all earlier Wills and testamentary dispositions made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament.

" 'I appoint Jean Margaret Granger to be sole executor and trustee of this will, but if she is unable or unwilling to, then I appoint my only daughter Hermione Jean Granger as my substitute executor and trustee.

" 'To my Daughter I give the sum of seven hundred thousand pounds (700,

000 £), and at the age of twenty-one (21) the house addressed as 325 Greenchurch Plaza in Epsom, Surrey in which she grew up in, in hopes that she will not forget where she came from.

" 'I give the sum of two hundred thousand pounds (200,000 £) to the British Dental Association to do with what they please.

" 'To my wife I give full ownership of everything not specified previously in this last will and testament, with which she is able to freely do with what she wishes.' "Remus finished.

asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;'

Hermione was not crying. She should have been; isn't that what was supposed to happen when you've just had your parent's Will read out loud to you? Instead she stared at the scarred black table while Tonks, Remus, and Professor Snape looked on worriedly―well, the Metamorphmagus and Werewolf were worried, Snape knew she was just processing.

Remus reached out to put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, but as soon as she felt the touch, she unconsciously flinched away from the contact, still staring blankly at the table.

"Erm, do you think you should do your Jedi mind trick, Snape? Snap her out of it!" Tonks said nervously. The Professor scowled but rose to stand across the table from Hermione. Drawing his wand and pointing it at the girl, he whispered the spell command.

"Legilimens."

It was almost instantaneously that the room exploded.

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><p><strong>*Looks up innocently* Oh, what was that? A cliffhanger you say, are you certain? *Cackle* *Giggle*<strong>

**~Creelluka**


	12. Chapter 12:Feelings and Silent Guardians

**Here's another chapter for you! Hope you like it!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**(Edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 22, 1998 (evening)<strong>

Remy had cleaned up the kitchen, repairing the table, cabinets, cutlery and everything else in barely a snap of his long fingers, so now the adults were in the Library, discussing what had happened.

"It was like a massive burst of accidental magic," Remus said.

"Will Hermione be okay?" Tonks asked.

"Miss Hermione is being messy's," Remy grumbled as he dusted the mantle.

"Yes, yes, and yes," Snape answered. "Miss Granger went into shock and the intrusion of our minds meeting triggered an automatic defense to protect her mind and magic. The magnitude of the magic used, knocked her out. She'll be awake by breakfast."

"Well that's good, the poor kid, and her parent's funeral is scheduled for next week too," Remus said sadly, taking a drink from his glass of Butterbeer.

Pansy, Severus thought somewhat smugly. Both he and Tonks were drinking the much stronger wizarding beverage: Firewhiskey.

"Oi, you should probably make sure she knows how to control her mind magic, she's not doing well and I'm sure you don't want her blowing up your house every other week," Tonks advised.

Snape scoffed into his glass of Firewhiskey, "You were the one to say I needed to snap her out of it. And what makes you think that I have the time? I brew potions all day. I have no time to teach depressed chits who can't deal with their grief."

"So have her help you. She's already finished all her summer work and I read her paper, it's spectacular, you probably couldn't have done it better." Remus said.

"I'll consider it." He got up to leave. "If you're staying, Tonks, I want silencing charms around the room and Impervious charms on the sheets, have a good evening."

asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;' asdfghjkl;'

Sometime after one in the morning, Severus found himself in Miss Granger's room. He had no clue why he would have had the inclination to do so, he had never done so before, and he had no reason to do so now, yet here he stood―well, sat. He was in one of the chairs by the window, turned to face the sleeping Gryffindor.

He honestly didn't know why he had told Remy to put Miss Granger in the Red Room, perhaps it was one of the few that looked lived-in and loved. Maybe because it had been his mother's, Eileen Prince, when she was still a part of the Prince family. Now here he sat, making sure his student, and temporary ward was alright. It seemed that everyone was always making sure that Potter and his friends were all right. Severus remembered the Order's worried faces as they asked after Granger's health every time he saw them.

No one asked me how I felt, Snape thought bitterly. No one asked if I was alright, learning that my father is still alive, murdering innocent Muggles. I'm sad as well, having Miss Granger here under these circumstances, her parents murdered by my father. I hate the man too, I want him dead as well! Severus wished he had thought to bring the bottle of Firewhiskey with him, he sorely needed it. I was in her head when the room exploded, couldn't they have stopped to think about what I must have felt? Snape thought acidly. He hated the thought that Lupin and Tonks were happy, that the Werewolf and the Metamorphmagus would have a happily ever after if the Dark Lord wasn't around. Potter and the Weasley girl were together (much to the delight of the rest of the staff, the old biddies), and Bill Weasley and the Delacour girl were getting married the beginning of August. It seemed that everyone around him was happy; almost in spite of the dangerous times. He hated it, and here he was, watching over his student, his ward, someone with whom he could sympathize with in their situation if he could only not be such a bastard all the time.

Severus sat there silently, in the chair, until a few hours later, Hermione started whimpering in her sleep. Head jerking up from the book he had gotten off the shelf, Severus stared at her for a few moments before getting up. Setting the book on the seat he had just vacated, Severus edged towards the bed where the struggling Gryffindor lay. He reached out a pale hand to brush his fingers over her forehead, but as soon as his hand made contact with her skin, she bolted upright, her hazel eyes wide with fright as she howled.

"NOOOOOO!"

Startled, Severus leaped backward, almost tripping over his robes. Hermione, for her part, had fallen back onto her pillow, fast asleep again. Severus surged forwards again, cautiously reaching his hand out again to hover scant centimeters above her skin when she didn't stir, he touched his fingertips once again to her forehead, Hermione did not move.

Her skin was hot and clammy with sweat, a fever. Severus transfigured a handkerchief into a towelette and shot a small stream of water onto the towel with aguamenti, he then started sweeping the damp cloth over her forehead, cleaning the sweat off and trying to reduce her mild fever. After a few minutes, he quietly called Remy to his side; the elf popped into sight immediately after with a small pop, barely making a sound. The Professor instructed Remy to bring back a small flask each of Pepper-up Potion and Draught of Peace. When the elf returned with another soft pop, Severus set the vials on the nightstand to the right. He continued to clean the sweat from her forehead and neck with a blank face and when the first hint of sunlight peeked into the room, he left, leaving only the two potions behind and a book, forgotten on the seat of a chair, positioned towards the bed.

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><p><strong>As always, any questions, comments or concerns will be answered, so send me a review or PM me if there's anything you needwant to know, or that _I_ need to know.**

**~Creelluka**

**P.S. I've seen other author's doing this and I like it. The person who brings my Review total up to 100 will receive a one-shot dedicated to them. They can pick the characters and scenario and I'll write it up. I'll do it for every 100th reviewer unless I decide otherwise. How do you like them apples?**


	13. Chapter 13: Angry Words & Sweet Swinging

**Another chapter! Thank you, everyone, for the wonderful reviews last chapter! You've really restored my confidence! Here's a new chapter for you all!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: Bolded print near the end is from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chapter 33, I own nothing!**

**(Edited 10-3-2015)**

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><p><strong>July 23, 1998<strong>

Hermione woke midmorning, lethargic and with a splitting headache. Squinting against the bright light from the window, she fell back into her pillow, the bed frame knocking into the night table and making the soft clink noise of glass hitting glass. Sitting up again, Hermione fumbled to pick up the vials of potion. Seeing the labels 'Pepper-up' and 'Draught of Peace' written in a spiky scrawl on each potion label was enough for Hermione as she uncorked and drank both in turn.

Stretching, Hermione glanced around her room, sensing something out of place.

There. The desk chair was next to the window and was facing the bed. It had probably been Remus, watching to make sure I made it through the night. Getting up to put the chair back with the desk, Hermione picked up a book from the seat and glanced at the cover, "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas. A Muggle novel, which wasn't that surprising for Remus, he was a well educated half-blood who had been known to enjoy both Muggle and Wizarding fiction. Hermione set it on the desk to return when she went downstairs.

* * *

><p>Tonks was still at Prince Manor when Hermione made it downstairs to the sitting room.<p>

"Wotcher, 'Mione. How are you feeling?" Tonks asked, looking concerned for Hermione even as her pleasure bled through. Hermione smiled, knowing what―or likely who― had made the pink-haired witch so happy.

"A bit sore in the head, like I've got a bruise on my brain if that's even possible," Hermione said wryly, slumping down in one of the stiff-backed chairs. She set "The Count" down on a nearby end table.

"I don't suppose Bruise Paste will do anything to help?" Tonks suggested, half-joking.

"Considering I was your teacher for seven years, I would have hoped that you would have learned something." An unmistakable voice joined the conversation. Hermione jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of Professor Snape.

"Heh, you started teaching the same time I started Hogwarts, wasn't it?" Tonks asked. "Yeah, I remember now, you gave me so many detentions for no reason!" She grinned.

"You know exactly why you received those detentions, Miss Tonks," Professor Snape glared. "You were, and continue to be the worst Hufflepuff I have ever taught."

Hermione, curious now, asked: "What did you do, Tonks?" And had trouble hiding a smile as the pink haired witch grinned deviously.

"Oh I didn't have much control over my Metamorphmagus abilities and I frequently mimicked those around me," Tonks was now openly chuckling now, and Snape was looking irritated.

"Miss Tonks here used to copy my facial features during class." Snape bit out. And the look of pure distaste from recalling the memory made Hermione burst out laughing.

"Oh...I'm so...sorry, Professor...I just…"Hermione tried to contain her giggles, but Tonks had started doing her Snape Face while his back was turned and Hermione was having difficulty sobering herself under the dual looks of one cross-eyed and smiling, fake professor, and one very real, very glaring Professor.

Not looking back, Snape cast a non-verbal Petrificus Totalus at Tonks, whose face had unfortunately been in the process of another imitation of Professor Snape. The look on Tonks' 'Snape Face' when she had been frozen was enough to send Hermione into near conniptions, doubled over in laughter as she was.

"Control yourself, Miss Granger," Snape barked a few minutes later when Hermione had not ceased laughing. "I have regretful need of your assistance in a matter that can not be delayed any longer."

When Hermione managed to stop giggling, she followed Professor Snape to the basement, stepping through the door and into an empty room, save for a fireplace and a clay pot sitting next to the hearth.

Professor Snape strode over to the pot and pinched a bit of the silver powder.

"Er, Professor," Hermione said nervously. "Where are we going?"

Snape sneered and tossed the Floo Powder into the flames and said: "Spinner's End." And stood aside for Hermione to walk through the green flames.

* * *

><p>"It has come to my attention that, in your grief, you may have a less tenuous grip on your mental faculties. I am apparently supposed to remedy that." Professor Snape sneered. He and Hermione were standing in the cramped parlor of Spinner's End.<p>

"My mental faculties are perfectly fine, Professor, and my grief is under control as well. Thank you for the concern, but I'm perfectly fine." Hermione said imperiously. At this, Professor Snape seemed, to loom even higher above her, and Hermione felt almost like a first year once again.

"The hell you are fine! I am not doing this out of concern for you, nescient brat!" Liar "I have no wish for my house to be blown up every time someone tries to snap you out of your pathetic depression!—"

"Pathetic depression!" Hermione screeched. "My parents were murdered not even a month ago. By your father, no less, and you think my sadness is pathetic?!" Perhaps it was the fact that she'd had to grow up faster than anyone else her age, or that she felt, inexplicably, that somehow, sometime this school year, everything would be over, but Hermione suddenly felt old. House points, Head Girl, detentions, and yes, even Professor Snape (though he was still frightening) paled in comparison to Lord Voldemort trying to kill her best friend, eradicating the 'impure', and trying to take over the Wizarding world.

If Snape had merely loomed over her before, that was nothing compared to how he towered over her now. He looked almost as frenzied as when he had come upon Harry, Ron, Remus, Sirius, and herself in her third year.

"YES! You think that I do not care that my father is the one that has killed innocent Muggles? No one even knows how he did it since it was clearly executed with magic!" Snape was spitting mad with rage now, his eyes blazed feverishly and unknowingly, his right hand clawed at the sleeve of his left arm.

"Then why haven't you ever tried to find him, eh? He killed your mum and disappeared, have you ever even tried looking for him, or is he a part of your Death Eater brotherhood as well and you're protecting him?" Hermione shrieked.

They were both shouting now, magic crackling in the air around them.

"Do not speak of what you do not know! You are a child and if you had any sense you would have done a better job of finding friends instead of tethering yourself like the Giant Squid to a Grindylow, to the first people to give you the time of day! You are out of your depth and should never have even considered attaching yourself the one person that the Dark Lord wants to kill above all else! Surely in one of those colossal texts that you absorb must have mentioned that." Snape had gotten quieter and more furious towards the end, hissing the words.

"I stand by Harry not because he and Ron saved my life from the troll in first year, but because they are good, honest people and care about those around them. If they see someone in danger, they'll try their hardest to help that person. You only know them by what you see in class and that's─"

"Gryffindor impudence─"

"Would you say the same if I had been put in Ravenclaw? Hufflepuff? Slytherin?" She shot back. "The Sorting Hat said I was more than suitable for all the House. Or Harry, the Sorting Hat almost put him in Slytherin, but Harry begged the Hat to put him in Gryffindor instead. Would you have acted differently if he had been in your House instead?"

Both stood there, in the shabby house, glaring at each other, eyes flashing dangerously.

Hermione took a deep breath. "I need to take a walk."

"No," Snape growled.

"I can take care of myself! I've fought Death Eaters before at the Ministry." She shouted.

"They weren't trying to capture or kill you then." He seemed unable to speak in anything other than a growl. "And you were almost killed by Dolohov!"

"Try and stop me!" Hermione shot back, slashing her wand and casting a hasty but powerful Petrificus Totalus almost before the Professor had realized it. He froze, arms and legs snapped to his sides and he fell onto his side on the hard floor.

Fuck, this was supposed to be simple. Snape thought vitriolically as he watched the front door slam closed.

* * *

><p>Hermione didn't know where she was going. She had run out of the house and was now by a playground.<p>

Sitting on a swing, the chains so rusted it looked like they hadn't been replaced in twenty years, Hermione rocked herself gently.

* * *

><p>Severus cursed himself yet again. He hadn't expected her to jinx him and it wasn't good to be unprepared in any setting. It hadn't taken him long at all to escape the jinx, but by the time he had, the stupid Gryffindor was nowhere to be seen. He cast a tracking spell, calling on the magic that connected every teachers' wand to their students' and immediately felt the pull towards her magic. He set out, walking briskly until he came to a park.<p>

It was a familiar park, and it tugged insistently at his memories until he realized. It was the park where he had first spoken to Lily.

* * *

><p>Hermione was now swinging. Big pumps and long extensions of her legs brought her higher and higher, the wind alternately making her short hair blow into her face and stream back.<p>

* * *

><p>Severus hid behind a honeysuckle bush not far away, watching the girl on the swings, his black cloak like great broken wings extending from his back.<p>

* * *

><p>The girl on the swing arched higher and higher before leaping off of the swing at its highest point.<p>

* * *

><p>To the onlooker, it seemed as if, for a single instant, there were two little girls there with the brown haired adolescent, the red-haired one on the same swing as the bigger girl, overlapping each other.<p>

Both girls let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and flew into the air, quite literally flew, launching themselves skyward with a great shout of laughter, and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, they soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly.

"Mummy told you not to!" The other ghostly girl shrieked, the one with a pinched face and dull brown hair pulled up into a ponytail.

And then the girls were gone, leaving only the older, brown-haired girl. Her eyes bright with happiness and the lingering feeling of flying through the air. She laughed out loud and it sounded like rain on a hot day, light and invigorating.

She noticed an overgrown honeysuckle bush near where she landed and approached it, picking up a fallen flower from the bush behind which Snape lurked.

Cupping it in her hand, the broken stem began to grow, curling itself around her wrist as the fluted white petals opened and closed.

And Severus Snape watched Hermione Granger, fascinated. And repulsed.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't know when the next update will be, I've got my STAAR EOC (you Americans hopefully know what I'm talking about), and an AP test next week, so I've been, and really need to study a BUNCH!<strong>

**Read and Review, Favorite and Follow, I'll answer any questions or concerns you may have, and reply with abundant gratitude to your encouraging words!**

**Until next time!**

**~Creelluka**


	14. Chapter 14: Funerals and a Reunion

**I'm back, and with a new friend, too! Everyone say hello to Emiliya Wolfe, the poor girl-er, I mean, _wonderful person_ who has agreed to Beta this! *Gives two big chocolate cookies for her work* She's got a fic too, "A Tale of Two Sides" It's a Marauder's Era type that is from the point of view of James Potter's twin sister, Emma, who's sorted into Slytherin. I definitely recommend it!**

**Oh, and this fic was added to it's very first Community! Thanks to TheArtsyFeministFangirl for adding it to The Lion and the Snake *presents big chocolate cookie***

**On to the chapter!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I created the idea of Fanfare Foghorns! Everything else belongs to Queen Rowling.**

**(Edited 10-3-2015, chapter 15 is now combined with this chapter)**

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><p><strong>July 28, 1998<strong>

Wearing a black dress, heels, and sun hat, Hermione stood somberly in front of her bedroom mirror. Today was the joint funeral of both her parents and Harry's extended family. Hermione didn't know how to feel. During the time she stayed at Prince Manor with Professor Snape and Remus, she had gone through the five stages of grief, and now felt a bit disconnected; as if it were the funeral for someone else―it kind of was― and not her parents.

The four younger Weasleys and their parents were supposed to be there, as well as Moody, Tonks, Remus, Emmeline Vance (who discovered the Dursleys bodies ),Kingsley, and Professor Snape.

Professor Snape.

They hadn't spoken to one another since he had found her behind the park in a clearing surrounded by a thick copse of trees, fingering a white lily with pink edges. He had grabbed her arm and promptly Disapparated them back to Prince Manor before she could say anything and had then locked himself in the study. He had avoided her in the four days since.

Making her way down the two flights of stairs, Hermione tried once again to think of a good eulogy to say over her parents' cremains. She had tried to write them out several times, but every time she sat at the old desk in her burgundy colored room, every time she set the roll of parchment down and unscrewed the ink pot, every time she dipped the quill into the ink and hovered over the parchment, waiting for letters to organize into words, words to grow into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, nothing came to her. She would sit in the hard seated, stiff-backed desk chair and watch the ink drip off of the quill and pool onto the stiff parchment and stain her fingers as her hand grew damp with sweat and slide around the quill shaft. Hermione would think of the black ink collecting on the stationary as her parents blood, staining the paper as it must have stained the floor where they lay. And then Hermione would siphon off the wasted ink, clean the quill, replace the lid to the inkwell, and roll up the parchment. She would then curl up under the soft russet sheets of her bed and stare at nothing until she fell asleep from exhaustion, glamouring away the dark circles and bags from under her eyes in the morning.

"Good morning, Hermione," Remus called from the kitchen, hearing her approach when she was still on the stairs.

Hermione schooled her face into a more cheery look. "Good morning, Remus, Tonks, how are you?"

Tonks grunted sleepily. Apparently, the metamorphmagus wasn't verbal without her morning coffee. Between she and Professor Snape, both of whom could have drunk coffee competitively, the coffee beans had run out of supply only three days after Tonks had arrived.

"I think a better question would be, how are you?" The former Defense professor smiled gently.

Hermione smiled sadly. "I'll be fine."

"Oi, 'Mione, isn't your scheduled shopping trip in a couple days? We're still out of coffee." Tonks complained.

" 'We're still out of coffee?' " Professor Snape swept in. "I was under the impression that this was my home, Miss Tonks, you have no say in what beverage items this household may or may not have. Remy!" He ordered. And the house-elf appeared with his customary CRACK! of Apparation.

"Yes, Master Potions Master, what can Remy do's for you?" The elf asked, looking beyond eager to serve his master.

"A cup of coffee, please, Remy." Snape smirked at Tonks who was glaring at him. "Black." The elf Disapparated and Apparated back quickly, bringing with him a large fragrant mug of coffee. The kitchen filled with the scent of the coffee and Tonks was practically moaning at the smell.

"Remus, make him share!" She whined, which made the last Marauder chuckle.

"I doubt anyone could make Severus do anything he didn't choose to do himself." Remus said.

Hermione glanced at the professor when Remus said this, and noticed that though his face was utterly blank, the fist that was holding the mug was clenched with so much force she feared that it would break, his knuckles looked like they might split through the skin of his hands with the amount of pressure he was exerting. Hermione was sure that his fingernails must have broken the skin of his other palm and when Snape relaxed his hand and surreptitiously brushed his hand against the leg of his black trousers, she saw the faint dark smear left behind, which he would probably use a Tergeo on when no one would notice.

Speaking of noticing, it appeared that Professor Snape had seen her see his reaction, not endearing her towards him in any way. It seemed that he wouldn't be forgiving her little outburst anytime soon.

Turning the subject away from Snape, Hermione made conversation with Tonks, who was marginally more awake and was making various types of noses while she and Hermione conversed about the effectiveness of nonverbal magic verses wandless magic.

* * *

><p>"You ready, mate?" Ron asked. "Mum's shrieking at the twins for goofing off on the day of a funeral, might want to get down there to distract her." He and Harry were just finishing adjusting themselves and their clothes, Harry trying to flatten his hair, which seemed to only get more unmanageable the more important the event, and Ron trying to adjust his bow tie, which seemed to permanently tilt to the right.<p>

"Yeah, I just haven't got any ideas of what I'm supposed to say over their remains, I mean, I don't have any good stories to tell about them, and other than a few bad jokes about their weight, I've got nothing." He chuckled. " 'Mione's probably got a five roll speech prepared, but she's got loads of good things to say about her parents."

"That's our 'Mione." Ron guffawed. "Though I don't see why The Order's making such a big deal about this, I mean, A Muggle funeral? With a Peach and everything?"

"A Priest, Ron, and yeah, a Squib one. But I mean, the Dursley's were Muggles, and so were the Grangers, but if Hermione and I just said a few last words to them and stuck them in the ground, it would have been fine with me." Ron nodded.

"Ronald? Harry, dear, it's time to go!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the ground floor.

"Coming, Mum!" Ron bellowed back. "C'mon, let's go see 'Mione." And the two tramped down the stairs of Grimmauld Place, while Molly stood at the bottom of the stairwell to make sure her boys didn't fall down the stairs.

"Into the Floo with you two. We'll be stopping by the Ministry for one of those cars they have, can't be letting the Muggles see any of us Apparating or arriving by Portkey.

* * *

><p>"Harry, I'm so sorry about the Dursley's! How are you doing?" Was the first thing Hermione said to Harry when she saw him, accompanied by a tight hug.<p>

"I'm fine, thanks 'Mione, I'm sorry about your parents." Harry hugged her back.

Ron stepped forward and promptly stuck his foot in his mouth. "Bloody hell, what did you do to your hair?"

Hermione laughed and pulled him into a hug to and Ron awkwardly patted her on the back. They may be best friends, but they had still dated and Ron wasn't quite sure what the protocol was when comforting your ex -girlfriend slash best friend at her parents funeral.

Ginny was the next person Hermione hugged, and the red-haired girl linked arms with her friend as they walked towards the congregated Order members.

* * *

><p>"So, hi, er, thanks for being here," Harry started. "Um, so pretty much all of you have heard about my aunt, uncle and cousin, some of you have met them. Well, you've all heard about how they mistreated me and all that, but they shouldn't have died. Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley should've had long lives. Aunt Petunia should have spent years poking her nose into everybody's business, Uncle Vernon should've spent the rest of his life waddling around and complaining about everything that moved and boasting about his job at the drill company. Dudley was only sixteen when he was killed. The same age as me. He was on the Rugby team in Secondary, apparently all those years playing Harry Hunting paid off? And he had his entire life ahead of him.<p>

"The last thing he said to me was that he didn't think I was such a waste of space, which is practically an 'I love you, cuz' coming from him. The Dursley's didn't deserve to be murdered and whoever did it will get what's coming for him. Um, thanks."

* * *

><p>"My parents, Daniel, and Jean Granger were strong. They were Dentists, artists, writers, cooks, doctors, providers, wardens, chauffeurs, guides, friends, and role models. They were parents. They taught me that people are people, no matter what they looked like or what their life circumstances were, prejudice and bigotry had no place in my parent's hearts." Hermione said, thinking about the real cause of the war they now fought.<p>

"My mum was always so supportive of me in everything I did, from the time when I first started reading, to when I got my Hogwarts letter. She was my best friend and the most independent person I know, and if I someday have children of my own, I hope I'll be half as good with my children as she was with me. I will miss my mum every day for the rest of my life, and when good things happen, they won't feel quite as real because I won't be able to tell her all about them." Hermione wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

"My dad was so supportive of me as well. He bought me books on every occasion and often for no reason at all, he taught me how to play piano and I'll never be able to play again without thinking about him encouraging my tiny hands to reach that octave note, or flipping the page as I played. He was blessed, or some would say cursed, with an independent wife, one with the expectation of working and not content to be kept at home, they were equals in life and now, in death. My dad believed in going straight to the point, no buggering around, if you asked him a question, he would always answer, point blank. He was a fiercely loyal man, loyal to his family, loyal to his friends and loyal to himself.

"My parents were victims of this war that violates the very ethics my mother taught me, so Harry, I hope to bloody Merlin that you kill that bastard snake soon. Thank you for being here to support me."

* * *

><p>Severus watched Potter and Granger make their eulogies to their families with little emotion. Meaning that he didn't feel slightly sorry for the death of the sour, pinched faced Petunia who hadn't changed a bit from the girl he knew as a child. It also meant that he didn't show any emotion to the heartfelt speech that Miss Granger gave about her parents, the way she described her parents' relationships with each other and her hadn't affected him one single bit, there was no sympathy at the fact that she was now essentially an orphan. Which was why there was no eye stinging on his part, not at all.<p>

Severus also hadn't whispered the spirit flower charm over Granger's parents' newly buried ashes, causing a small bushel of tulips, daffodils, and amaryllis flowers to sprout when no one was looking.

He had, however, decided to patrol the area. It was only coincidence that Miss' Granger and Weasley happened to be chatting nearby.

* * *

><p>"Blimey, Hermione, that was heart-wrenching." Ginny told her friend. "Really, I'm pretty sure I saw Snape show a tiny bit of emotion at one point."<p>

Hermione giggled. "Not likely, it was probably your tears distorting your vision. And I honestly just pulled that speech out of my arse, until I got up there, I had no idea what I was going to say." Ginny laughed.

"Look at you, Tonks and I must have been a big influence on you, you said 'arse,' 'bloody,' and 'bastard' in less than a five minute time period. I'm surprised Ron didn't keel over!" Hermione smacked the ginger girl's arm, blushing.

"But really," Ginny sobered up. "How are you doing?"

Hermione looked away. "I'm fine, Gin, really."

"That's hippogriff shit, 'Mione, I know you better than you think. Your lips twitch whenever you try and lie. Are you okay in whatever tower the Order has you hidden in?" Ginny demanded.

"You're very observant, are you sure you shouldn't be in Slytherin?" Hermione said sarcastically.

"The Hat was pretty torn when deciding where to put me," Ginny agreed. "But you're changing the subject! How are you feeling!"

"I'm really fine Ginny, I just want people to act normal, having people tiptoe around me just makes me restless." Hermione said. "And as for where I'm staying, if I could tell you, you'd freak out, Ron too. You'd both be demanding I stay at Grimmauld with you and everyone else and I actually enjoy the relative quiet. Besides, it has a gigantic library, you're not pulling me away that easily."

"Well, alright," Ginny said hesitantly. "But if you need me, just owl, if I find out that something happened and I didn't hear it from you first, I'll hex you!" The girls hugged and just like that, the serious conversation was overㅡfor the time beingㅡand they moved on to more lighthearted topics.

"You know," Hermione said, "Little Whinging, where Harry grew up, and Epsom, where I grew up, are practically neighbors, and my mum used to take me over to the playgrounds in Little Whinging sometimes, I wonder if I ever ran into a little Harry?"

Ginny laughed. "I can just see it! A six year old Hermione with big bushy hair and a missing front tooth sitting on the swings reading a book much too large and full of technical terms than any six year old should rightly be reading, and a six year old Harry with no glasses yet, running from his big lard of a cousin. He comes up to you and shyly asks what you're reading and when you try to explain he gets confused so you let him have a look at the book; when all he can see are squiggles you tell him he probably needs glasses. Harry says something along the lines of 'oh, I don't think my aunt and uncle will get them for me' you know, because you two are six and he doesn't know not to say things like that, and when you hear that, you march up to his aunt who's fawning all over Dudley to the other mum's, and you tell her that 'Harry needs glasses so that he can read and be smart, so there!'" Ginny was laughing near hysterically now and Hermione was trying to maintain her composure, given that they were at a funeral, after all.

"Oh, Merlin, if that happened, it would be my defining Gryffindor moment." Hermione giggled.

They were still trying to control their laughter when someone shouted.

"Death Eaters!" And then chaos broke out.

* * *

><p>Remus and Tonks had snuck away from the gathering of Order members in search of the Muggle Priest that had said a few words and prayers over the Granger's and Dursley's ashes. They wanted to get married. And soon.<p>

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron, and the twins stood around talking while sipping on spiked Butterbeer that Fred and George had snuck in.<p>

"At least Uncle Vernon was cremated, I don't think there's a coffin large enough for him." Harry joked weakly.

Ron laughed. "You're horrible, mate, I'm glad you didn't include that in your speech."

"Hey, Harryㅡ" One twin said.

"D'ya want to tryㅡ" The other twin continued.

"One of our newㅡ"

"Weasley's Wizards Wheezes products?" They finished together.

"Erm," Harry hesitated. "Is it a health hazard, messy, and-or- likely to be taken up by Filch?"

"Of course not!" Right twin.

"Perish the thought!" Left twin.

"As if we'd make something like that!" Both twins.

Harry glared at them.

"Oh pleaseㅡ"

"Don't be riddikulusㅡ"

"It's justㅡ"

"A harmlessㅡ"

"Relatively."

"Can!" Together.

Ron understood first. "Is it like the Decoy Detonators?"

Fred and George applauded, him hooting like Quidditch announcers. "He's done it!"

"Ronnie's done it!"

"He's beat the odds!"

"No one could have expected this, folks!" Ron scowled and Harry sniggered into his drink.

"Shove off,"

"So what'll it do?" Harry asked.

"Wel,lㅡ" Fred said. Or maybe it was George.

"We heard about, ㅡ" George said. Or maybe it was Fred.

"Muggles having theseㅡ"

"Sound mechanismsㅡ"

"And confetti crackersㅡ"

"So we thoughtㅡ"

"Why not combine them?"

"Wait, so what's your product?" Ron asked. Harry was a little glad Ron asked, he wasn't sure what the twins were up to either.

"Oohh, and he's crashed!" The twins began their mocking Quidditch commentary again.

"He was doing so well, too!"

"He had the Quaffleㅡ"

"But he dropped it!" Ron swung a fist at the nearest twin who lightly dodged it.

"No, dear little brotherㅡ"

"This little beautyㅡ" The left twin pulled a small canister out of his pocket with a flourish.

"Can be used at parties and celebrationsㅡ"

"When you need a grand entranceㅡ"

"Or even just when you need something to cheer yourself up!"

Ron and Harry simultaneously rolled their eyes at the dramatics of the two most mischievous Weasley's.

"Go onㅡ"

"Give it a go."

"Just give this dial here a whirl—"

"Which willㅡ"

"Change the delay timeㅡ"

"You can also set it to be motion sensored!"

Harry and Ron took the canister from the twins and Harry turned the dial to thirty seconds and dropped it to the ground, just in case.

A few seconds later, the top of the device flew open, flying five meters away from the force as confetti spewed out, showering the four young men with paper scraps. Trumpets played 'Merlin save the Mugwumps,' the wizard version of 'God save the Queen.'

"It can also do songs from Star Wars, and other celebratory songs."

"And it has a refillable cartridge for the confetti!"

"Silencio!" The twins shut off the music and spewing confetti, at the lack of noise, the adult Order members glanced over and smiled at the way the boys could be happy and laugh even with the threat hanging over their young heads.

Harry fell to his knees suddenly, crying out in pain with a fist to his scar, he yelled.

"Death Eaters!"

* * *

><p><strong>*Cackle* Another cliffie, oh dear! Lucky for you I'm almost halfway done with the next part.<strong>

**Oh, the dates at the head of the chapter _are_ important, I put them there for a reason! Let's see if anyone can figure out what the significance of this chapter's date is? (But that scene won't be shown until the next chapter, or the one after that, depending on the length the next one is)**

**As always, thanks for your continued support and not bombarding me with rotten fruit and vegetables for my long absence**

***Tomato fly's at Creelluka* Who threw that!? **

**Anyway, *glares adoringly at massed readers* The little story that Ginny made up has been written and will be posted in the next few days, so look for that!**

**Review any questions or concerns you may have, or PM me. The 100th reviewer one-shot contest thingy is still going on, just 24 more reviews* needed!**

***If the 100th reviewer is a Guest, the winner will be the person with a profile immediately AFTER**


	15. Chapter 15: Battles and Revelations

**Hi, sorry it took longer than expected, my health has just gone straight out the window and I came down with Pink Eye, among other side effects, but good news! Sassyluv snagged the 100th reviewer one-shot, which I'm working on, so congrats to her, and thanks to all who review couldn't have gotten there without you!**

**I've also made a Twitter account, which I will post on whenever I'm about to post a chapter, any reason that will cause the chapter to be late, or just little things that I want to share with all of you. So, yeah check it out? (My twitter name is Creelluka)**

**This may also be the last update for a while, as school starts up in about a month and I haven't finished a single summer assignment yet! I blame ff dot net!**

**Thanks ****Emiliya**** for all that you do, and ****XInconcievableX**** for reading this entire fic and reviewing ****_every single chapter_****! And thanks to everyone that reads, reviews, favorites, and follows!**

**Enjoy the battle that I've been putting off for so long!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the world of Harry Potter, except for the Spirit Flower concept.**

**~Creelluka**

**(edited 10-3-2015)**

* * *

><p><strong>July 28, 1997<strong>

Everyone in the cemetery drew their wands, past experience and battles made it impossible for them to be slow on the draw. A split moment of silence before the telltale crack of Apparation and about thirty black-robed Death Eaters stormed them. Smoke, shouts, and flashes of light soon filled the air as the Order members chose a partner and fought back.

Hermione and Ginny immediately went after a shorter Death Eater that was most likely female, shouting hexes and curses at the robed figure, Hermione barely missed being hit by a jet of red light, and only Ginny's hasty Protego saved her. Harry and Ron joined them soon after two other Death Eaters jumped in. Across the way, the twins, Harry, and Ron had teamed up and were dueling a couple Death Eaters. George covered for his twin as Fred tossed a couple jars at the Death Eaters and spared a quick high five as the Death Eaters were trapped by a Tiny Twister jar and a Patented Daydream Charm before wading off to help their mum and dad who were being surrounded by Death Eaters. Harry and Ron ran off to help Ginny and Hermione, who had been cornered by three Death Eaters now.

Severus Snape was in an extremely delicate situation. He hadn't known there would be an attack today, and now if he seriously injured a fellow Death Eater or didn't injure a Death Eater enough he could possibly be compromised. He would have to come up with an excuse for the Dark Lord the next time he would be summoned. At least it was the lower ranks of Death Eaters, Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy weren't likely to be here, but that meant that some of his Slytherins would be here, and would undoubtedly be looking for something to raise their position in the Death Eater hierarchy. Severus being at the funeral and not letting the Dark Lord know would definitely be to their, he was buggered for sure especially since he was facing someone he knew quite well. The posture and body language practically screamed Draco Malfoy. Merlin, and now he was faced with an even bigger moral dilemma, how was he supposed to face the twit that called him Uncle as a toddler?

Draco solved that for him. "Sectumsempra!" Snape nonverbally reflected the curse and started in on his student.

Some forty feet away from Snape, Moody, Kingsley, and Emmeline Vance had teamed up and were at a great disadvantage, facing around ten of the young Death Eaters and were taking turns shielding and attacking. Moody was using his magical eye to his advantage to deflect streams of magic towards other Death Eaters, felling two of them. Emmeline Vance stupidly tried to use Protego against a bolt of green magic and fell to the Avada Kedavra curse. Moody soon followed when an orange streak hit him while the old Auror was preoccupied with two other Death Eaters. Enraged, Kingsley made quick work of the remaining six Death Eaters with the help of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

Molly, Arthur, Fred, and George had surrounded a group of eight Death Eaters by the funeral podium and were making short work of them until one shot off a white light that hit George who fell to the ground, his face covered in scarlet blood. Molly and Fred screamed and cast more quickly, devastating the remaining Dark Wizards while Arthur dragged his son behind a plinth of flowers that was miraculously still in one piece.

Tonks―now Lupin― and Remus were fighting against the remaining six Death Eaters, needless to say, Nymphadora thought this had to be the best wedding party ever.

"Thanks for the wedding present, love!" Dora shouted between hexes.

"Glad you like it." Was Remus' bemused reply.

They quickly beat their Death Eaters, but not before sustaining a burn on Dora's leg, a glancing slicing hex to her stomach, and a jelly fingers curse by someone obviously either very stupid or rather smart. Remus had managed to only garner a Bat-bogey hex from some Slytherin that had obviously gotten on Ginny's bad side on some previous occasion.

Facing Severus, Draco was the last Death Eater to go down, and to a nonverbal stunner, too. Snape dragged his student towards everyone else, trying not to show how the young Malfoy's thoughts had affected him. How did he find out where the bastard was hidden? I searched for years and never found him.

Remus and Kingsley had gathered the fallen Death Eaters, binding and gagging then with Incarcerous and Silencio, their hoods still up, as per agreement, their wands had also been taken away and were now waiting on Snape to decide which ones went to processing at the Ministry and which ones to let go. It was one of his jobs as a spy; to make sure that some got away.

Approaching the Death Eaters, Snape carefully entered their minds one by one.

_Amycus and Alecto Carrow._ "Return both."

_Vincent Crabbe, Jr. and Gregory Goyle, Jr._ "Return both."

_Jugson_. "Process."

_Draco Malfoy_. "Return."

_Travers, Yaxley, and Rowle._ "Return all three."

Snape continued down the line, carefully modifying the memories of each Death Eater to suit his needs. The second to last mind he encountered was someone that he didn't expect to see and was surprised and severely disappointed that the person had gotten involved. "Return." He hated to do it, but if he was sent back to the ranks, maybe he would have a chance at finding out why the boy was there.

_Theodore Nott._ "Return."

Nine had gone to processing, the other twenty-one were sent back with a verbally keyed Portkey that had been on Draco. Snape ordered Kingsley and Dora to take the nine Death Eaters to the Auror Department to file the charges that they had killed Emmeline Vance and Alastor Moody. The remaining Order members gathered their charges, Ron, Ginny, Harry, Fred, and a still bleeding George with Molly and Arthur to Grimmauld Place, and Remus and Snape were to take Hermione to Prince Manor.

* * *

><p>Molly and Arthur were in the kitchen with Fred, trying to fix George's ear. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were in Sirius' old room on the fifth floor, fixing their minor injuries and trying to piece together all that had happened. Ginny and Harry were sitting on the bed, and Ron was on the floor, leaning against the bed.<p>

"Vance found the Dursleys after the Death Eaters got to them, now she's dead. It's all my fault!" Harry was saying. Ginny and Ron glanced at each other, knowing this spiel and where it would go.

"Harry, mate," Ron started. "You can't blame yourself for the Death Eaters showing up, or her death, all the Order members knew what they were in for when they joined, it's not your fault any more than its mine or Ginny's or Hermione's."

Harry let out a frustrated huff of breath. "But―"

"Harry, stop being so dramatic and blaming yourself for everything!" Ginny blurted. "Not everything is your fault! Just because you saw Riddle's diary in my cauldron my first year and didn't say anything, isn't your fault! Just because you didn't figure out Sirius was an Animagus and Ron broke his leg in third year doesn't make it your fault! Cedric dying isn't your fault, neither is Sirius being sent through that arch at the Ministry! Professor Dumbledore isn't your fault, and Hermione's parents, and your aunt and uncle, and cousin aren't your fault either! Stop blaming yourself for things that Voldemort did!" Ginny had tears in her eyes now and so did Harry. Ron was studiously trying to bandage his wand hand using his non-dominant hand and his teeth. They heard a cry of pain from downstairs and Ginny exploded again.

"George getting hurt isn't your fault either! Me, Ron, Hermione, everyone else that was injured today isn't your fault, Harry! Merlin, sometimes I just wish you weren't such a big hero! You may be a part of some great big Prophecy but from what I heard, It could have just as easily been Neville, too! Listen to me Harry: you can't do everything on your own! You have to let other people help you." Ginny finished quietly. The famous Weasley rage was all burned up.

"She's kind of right, mate," Ron said, tilting his head back against the bed mattress to look at a poster of a scantily clad bikinied woman that was stuck to the inner, top of the four poster bed. "You do need to let us help you out, you'll go mental if you try and do this on your own." Harry was silent.

"See, Ron's making sense, which means you'd probably better listen to him," Ginny remarked. Which got a faint, distracted smile from Harry and a muttered "Hey," from Ron.

"I need some air, I'll be in the garden." Harry finally said. The sibling knew that meant he didn't want to be disturbed and watched grimly as their best friend, and in Ginny's case, boyfriend walked out of the room and down the stairs.

"Wish 'Mione were here, she'd nag him until he admitted he needs us," Ron said. Ginny nodded.

* * *

><p>"I wish you were here, Sirius, you'd give me some advice that was crudely worded and then laugh, say I reminded you of my dad and then tell me a story of when you guys were in school." Harry was sitting in front of Sirius' flower once again and was so engrossed in it that he didn't hear Tonks, finished with her report to the Ministry and the Order, come up behind him.<p>

"Why are you talking to cousin Regulus' flower?"

Harry jumped and let out an undignified yelp. "Tonks, blimey, don't just sneak up on people!"

She laughed. "Sorry mate, I'll wear a bell next time. Oh, and call me Nym, by the way."

"Nym, huh?" Harry studied her and smiled widely when he saw the band around her finger. "About time!"

"Heh, thanks, Harry. So why are you talking to Reg's flower?"

Harry frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? This' Sirius' it's got his name."

"Harry, you know he hated it here, so why would his flower be here? It's probably at Potter Manor with your dads, I heard that your grandparents thought of him as a second son, according to Remus." Nym reasoned, she drew her wand. "Here, look _expromo anima flos_."

A name in silver and green lettering floated in the air above the flower.

"See, Harry? Regulus Arcturus Black. He was a Death Eater in the first war but defected soon after joining, You-Know-Who killed him."

"Wait, Regulus Arcturus Black? RAB! I've got to go talk to Ron, thanks, Tonks, I mean Nym!" Harry ran off.

"Er, welcome?"

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><p>Severus had shut himself away in the Library, locking and warding the doors as soon as the three had arrived, Hermione and Remus sat at the kitchen table, chatting quietly while patching themselves up.<p>

"Why did Professor Snape have to send back so many Death Eaters?" Hermione asked. "I mean, I know that they can't all be arrested, but why so many?"

Remus who was trying to figure out the counter-curse to stop the last few bats from flying out of his nose answered.

"All the Death Eaters that were there were relatively weak, low ranking Death Eaters. Some are still in school, or just finished, and being arrested would harm their futures. And despite their being Death Eaters, they are still young and there is still hope that they will see sense and manage to free themselves from what they've gotten themselves into."

"But what about the Death Eaters who killed Moody, and Emmeline Vance, did they get arrested?" Hermione protested.

Remus thought back to what he had seen. "No, but Severus knows who they are and he has his reasons for letting them go; trust him, Hermione, he knows what he's doing." His tone suggested that she stop asking questions, though he never dropped the tone of voice he used when teaching.

Hermione wasn't satisfied but dropped the subject.

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><p>In the Library, Severus was tossing back tumbler after tumbler of Firewhiskey, furious at himself for how his life turned out, and furious at some faceless person for not steering him away from the dark path he was on. Lupin's words from that morning came back to him, taunting him.<p>

"I doubt anyone could make Severus do anything he didn't choose to do himself." Lupin had said. And the rage that had followed those words had nearly consumed him. Everything he did was because Dumbledore or the Dark Lord had told him to. Though now Dumbledore was gone and he only had one master now, and as soon as Voldemort was gone for good, he would be free. As it were, the Granger girl had noticed his reaction to the werewolf's words, though, for once, hadn't said anything. She had probably still been mad about what had happened at Spinner's End days earlier.

Severus took another angry gulp of the burning liquid. Merlin how he hate that hovel! When he had inherited Prince Manor from a distant aunt after her death, it had been one of the best things that had ever happened to him. He still kept Spinner's End for Potion brewing and meeting fellow Death Eaters, but never used it beyond that. The Prince's were an old Pureblood family that never paid much attention to the politics surrounding them, choosing instead to keep to themselves, which brought along the inbreeding that most Pureblood families embraced. Severus' mother running away with Tobias Snape was probably best in the short term, fresh blood introduced to the bloodline meant stronger wizards and a better chance at renewing the Prince line. In the long term, however, Eileen Snape had neglected to tell her husband that magic did exist and she was a witch until after Severus Snape had been born and starting to display signs of accidental magic. Being a rather small-minded man, Tobias was rather like Vernon Dursley in that he thought magic was 'freakish' and endeavored to pummel it out of his son. Unlike Mr. Dursley, Tobias also punished his wife, blaming her for the nature of their child, often loudly and drunkenly.

During their fight, Draco's thoughts had practically screamed at Severus to look inside, and when he did, he saw Tobias Snape and that Draco confidently believed he was back, the only way Draco Malfoy could have possibly known about a Muggle was if he had something to do with the Dark Lord. Severus remembered the Order meeting where Potter and the youngest Weasley boy had been informed about Granger's parents, he had mentally speculated about his father's longevity and about the manner of death of both Drs. Granger and the Dursleys. Both slayings had traces of a magical signature at the scene, both times very faint and very weak. He remembered the amount of Strengthening Solution, Age Potion, and Invigoration Draught that the Dark Lord had him brew, and continue to do so. Potions are ineffective on Muggles so they wouldn't be for Tobias, were they possibly for the Dark Lord? No, he had his Horcruxes to keep him young.

Horcruxes. The faintest trace of an idea floated in the back of his mind. He considered it and filed it away behind the furthest Occlumentic shields of his mind for further thought and research later on.

Severus recalled the strange mind he had come across after the skirmish at the funeral that day, he hadn't expected someone from that House to get involved, it was practically unheard of! Their kind usually kept their distance from conflict, barring one, who had ended up dead looking for eternal glory. The rest were usually sunshine and bubbles, there must be something about this one to make him switch sides. He had been a member of that infernal Dumbledore's Army and was now a Death Eater! The fool boy was making a mistake and if he didn't get out soon, he'd wind up dead as well. Though people under the instruction of the dark Lord didn't usually escape, and if they did, it wasn't for long, and they usually regretted it immensely.

Taking a swallow from the bottle this time, Snape almost choked when the Dark Mark flared to life, summoning him. Grateful for his ability to remain sober and perfectly aware while under the effects of drink, he spun in place and Apparated blindly to his master's side.

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><p><strong>Last Update for a while, classes always come first, sorry!<strong>

**Who could that mysterious person be? I think you'll FIND* it's quite surprising? Leave your guess below!**

**Thanks for reading, LEAVE A REVIEW SO I KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT! Please?**

***I've finally taken the time to watch all three Very Potter Musicals, so sue me :)**

**(Actually, please don't, I need the money for tuition!)**

**~Creelluka**


	16. Chapter 16: Flashbacks and Birthdays

**Hi, all! I've finally found my footing, school is definitely more demanding this year. But the good news is that I've written two other chapters besides this one, so that means I'm just a bit more ahead!**

**I've gone back and edited some chapters, I've combined the chapter where Fred, George, Harry and Ron are all talking with the one before it, so this chapter was originally supposed to be chapter 17.**

_**Also, before you read this chapter, please go back to the beginning of chapter 10 and read just until the first page breaker line thingy and then come back here, this chapter would be kind of sudden, otherwise.**_

**Thank you, everyone who made a guess about the mystery Death Eater last chapter, Amarenima Redwood, your first guess was right! and you were the only person to guess correctly, too! Thanks, Taedae, Sassyluv. Kimberly (Guest), and XinconcievableX, you two guessed the right House, good job!**

**~Creelluka**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p><strong>June 28, 1997<strong>

A week after all the students had left Hogwarts for their Summer break, and Dumbledore's funeral, the Hogwarts staff had a staff meeting.

"As the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, I must choose a Deputy." Minerva had said. "During the past week I have made my decision."

Sitting around the large table in the staff room, all the teachers and Madam Pomfrey looked tired. The ghostly Binns was asleep, as per usual, and Hagrid had started sniffling into what looked like a tablecloth at the reminder of Dumbledore. Severus mentally rolled his eyes, he knew it would be Filius, he was the most experienced, powerful, and qualified of all present. Confident in his prediction, Severus knew that the small Charms professor would be a good Deputy, though if Filius were to refuse for some reason, Severus would be the next obvious choice, which could not be allowed to happen. If it did, he would have no choice but to accept. If he didn't he would surely be killed by the Dark Lord, spy or not. If he were Deputy Headmaster he would surely be tasked with getting rid of Minerva so he could take over, it was inevitable.

Severus scowled. _If, if, if. Minerva won't choose me, she's part of the Order and knows what the Dark Lord would make me do if I—_

"With the four Founders and my Predecessors looking down on me, I formally offer the position of Deputy Headmaster to Potions Master Severus Snape."

_Fuck._

Smoothly, he replied. "I, Severus Snape, formally request a period of twenty-four hours to consider accepting or declining the offered position of Deputy Headmaster." He ignored the shocked mutters over him being chosen and not immediately accepting the position.

Minerva nodded and accepted his request before hurriedly ending the meeting, knowing that he would want to attack her with reasons why he should be the last person to be Deputy.

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><p>"What in the name of Gryffindor's girdle made you choose me? Are you imperiused, Minerva, have you lost all your senses?" Severus and Minerva were in the Headmistress' office and Severus was currently having no luck in swaying her decision.<p>

"Resorting to epithets against Gryffindor, Severus? You must be stirred up."

"This is no time for your pathetic attempts at lightening the mood!" Severus roared. "I cannot decline the position because the Dark Lord would kill me, and if I accept, he will have me kill you in order to gain possession of Hogwarts. You should have chosen Filius."

"I didn't choose Filius because he can't do what needs to be done this year. Dumbledore—"

I will not be responsible for watching another Head die, Minerva, which is what will surely happen if I accept this position!" Severus argued.

Minerva drew herself up and said. "If my death is what it takes in order to give our side an advantage, I will willingly give my life knowing I did something to help the wizarding world escape from Voldemort's hold."

Severus hissed furiously. "There's been a Taboo put on his name, don't say it! You are not Dumbledore, Minerva, stop trying." He glanced at the currently empty portrait hanging on the wall behind the large desk. If the man had been there, Severus might have set him on fire. "Your death will do nothing but give Hogwarts over to the Dark Lord. That must. Not. Happen."

"I am afraid I must cut our conversation short, Severus, I've got to conduct interviews for a new Defense professor, Transfiguration professor, and I must find a new Head of House for Gryffindor. If you will come back tomorrow at this same time, I await you decision." Minerva said sternly, dismissing him.

With a sneer on his face that would make even his Slytherins wary, he swept out of the office and towards his dungeons. He knew what his decision would be. He had no choice.

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><p><strong>July 31, 1997<strong>

Today was Harry's birthday and the next day was Bill and Fleur's wedding, and it had taken the dual efforts of Molly and Remus to convince Professor Snape to let Hermione attend. It seemed to her that the Professor didn't want her to be with her friends. Or maybe it was that if she went, he would be required to as well. Most likely he suspected that, if away from Prince Manor, she was going to run off with Harry and Ron. Granted that was exactly what they were planning on doing, but Hermione had read, copied, and gathered all the books she could find on Occlumency and Legilimency, among other books that she had thought would be helpful in their quest from the Manor's library, and had them stowed in her beaded bag. Which had been improved thanks to some of the books in the library and now had compartments for organization and a cold box for food.

Hermione had first started gathering the Occlumency and Legilimency books when she got her Hogwarts letter with his signature declaring him as Deputy Headmaster, she knew he was skilled at both practices and if he happened to look into her mind, he would have seen her plans for going Horcrux hunting with Harry and Ron.

Checking her mental defenses, Hermione smiled, confident that while they may not keep out Voldemort, she would be safe from Professor Snape intruding and riffling through her Memory Library. Imitating the Hogwarts Library, Hermione had neatly stored and categorized all her memories. It had been hard work but she had done it, placing all thoughts of Voldemort and Horcruxes and their mission in the 'Restricted Section' of her mental library, all the flashes of memories of her six years at Hogwarts were dispersed throughout the 'Transfiguration,' "Charms,' 'Potions,' 'Herbology,' 'Defense against the Dark Arts,' and other various subjects while everything from living with her parents in the muggle world had been folded into the 'Muggle Studies' section.

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><p>The Burrow had been restored from the Death Eater attack in sixth year, though, with the upcoming wedding, it seemed like Mrs. Weasley had taken the liberty to improve the towering house. Flutterby bushes had been planted on either side of the doorstep, the garden had been tamed, the gnomes corralled and Stupefied for the next two days, and a giant tent had been erected for the wedding the next day. All in all, the place looked marvelous.<p>

It seemed like every time Hermione tried to talk privately with Harry and Ron, Mrs. Weasley needed them to split up to do some last minute wedding thing, conjure more chairs, shine the silver, press the napkins, it wasn't until Molly was distracted with Harry's birthday cake were they able to hole up in Ron's room to talk.

"So all this was done in a week?" Hermione asked.

Ron groaned tiredly, "Yep, we stayed at Grimmauld Place until the repairs were finished."

"We're still planning on leaving September first, right?"Harry confirmed, according to Ron he'd been worrying about their plan since they'd come up with it using the old DA coins.

"Yes Harry, we'll get on the train, get to our compartment, then apparate away to your Aunt and Uncle's old house," Hermione said patiently.

"Alright, just making sure," Harry said.

"Hey, mate, can you at least turn my Canons poster back to orange? Light blue really doesn't suit them." Ron said, and just like that, some of the nervous tension Harry had was gone as he sheepishly apologized and tried to fix the Quidditch poster.

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><p>There were two reasons Minerva had come to Harry Potter's birthday celebration, to see Miss Granger about her decision to decline the Head Girl position, and to talk to Severus about his latest Summons. She arrived just as Minister Scrimgeour was leaving, and remembering that the deadline for the contents of Albus' Will had passed, she resigned herself to an impending visit from an official, no doubt passing on a few pairs of tartan socks filled with catnip, to her. Albus' usual Christmas gift, one that she realized she would miss. Though she wondered why the Minister was doing it and not some other Ministry official, and also wondered (with a small bit of pride) what her Gryffindor cubs did to make the Minister look so disgruntled.<p>

Spotting Severus leaning against a golden apple tree some ways from the cake eating guests, she headed purposefully towards him. After polite greetings, she asked him why he needed to speak with her now.

"The Dark Lord needs something from the school that will have severe repercussions if I didn't tell you about it first." Even holding the plate of cake Molly had shoved into his hands, admonishing him for looking so thin, Severus managed to retain his seriousness.

"The Dark Lord wants the Sorting Hat, I do not know exactly what for, maybe to cause chaos, or more likely he has an ulterior motive, most likely the latter, but the former would be an added bonus."

Minerva thought quickly. "Is there any way you can wait until after the Sorting and still survive?"

"No, it had been made clear that if I fail in this, I will not get a second chance. He wants it before September first."

"Very well, we have no choice, we'll have to do without the Hat. I'll get it to you as soon as possible and schedule an interview with the Prophet about the theft." Minerva decided. "We'll just have to do without this year. I just hope you find out what he's planning." Severus nodded.

"Have a slice of cake," he said, pushing his plate into her hands. "And when you speak to Miss Granger, try to find out what she's hiding, she seems to have developed some rudimentary skill at Occlumency and if I push any harder, she'll know I'm looking." Minerva gave him the look, part suspicion, part exasperation, he definitely remembered that look from his school days, before going off to seek out her Gryffindor protégé, the cake still in hand.

She found Miss Granger exactly where she thought she would, sitting next to Messrs. Weasley and Potter trying to, eat cake, read a book, and reprimand Mr Weasley for eating cake too fast and talking with food in his mouth. Clearing her throat to get the attention of the three, she wished Potter many happy returns before requesting to see Miss Granger alone.

"Miss Granger, I apologize for not owling you back, but I wanted to speak with you in person about your choice to pass on the Head Girl position."

"Yes Headmistress, I'm sorry but I think that with all that's happened recently that someone else would be better suited to the job, I'm sorry for any inconvenience." She was broken, yet whole, fragile, but strong. Minerva didn't know how the younger girl did it, but Hermione Granger was one of a kind.

"That's quite alright, dear, I just wanted to make sure you were certain."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm sure," Hermione assured.

Very well then, I thought I'd let you know that Hannah Abbott was our second choice, I'm sure you'll agree that she'll do a fine job."Minerva informed her.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll be sure to congratulate her when I see her on the train." Hermione hugged the book she held to her stomach. They started walking back to the party.

"Ah, so we will be seeing you at Hogwarts this year, I hadn't received your confirmation letter, I assume Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will be attending this year as well?" Minerva asked casually, studying the young woman next to her.

Hermione hugged the book closer to herself, "Yes, we'll be leaving from the station like usual."

Later Minerva would kick herself for not realizing how obvious a partial truth that answer was, but they had reached the rest of the partygoers and it would have been suspicious if Minerva had continued questioning her, so she said her goodbyes, and with a look towards Severus that meant she would get him the Hat as soon as she was able, she Disapparated back to her office.

Back at the Burrow, Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron what McGonagall had wanted with her, and they worried over if their teachers suspected them, having no idea that their carefully constructed escape plan was going to be moved up a month.

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><p><strong>Thank you, everyone for being so patient, I hope I didn't lose anyone while I was gone!<strong>

**Show the love, Review below!**

**~Creelluka**


	17. Chapter 17: Wedding Crashing

**Hello, all, and Happy/sad Halloween to you all! On this day, two fictional (totally real) people were killed and their son lived on to defeat their killer multiple times. RIP James and Lilly Potter!**

**Anyway, Just thought I'd upload a chapter before people start showing up for the Halloween party I'm hosting, happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Tweedledee and Tweedledum belong to the world of _Alice in Wonderland,_ and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are from both Shakespeare's _Hamlet_ (though I borrowed the characters from my favorite movie, Tom Stoppard's _Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) _Additionally, anything bolded belongs to the wonderful, genius, J.K. Rowling.**

**Thanks everyone for all your love!**

**~Creelluka**

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><p><strong>August 1, 1997<strong>

At twelve thirty, Hermione and Ginny helped Madame Delacour, Fleur's little sister, and Molly get Fleur ready for her wedding, there actually wasn't that much to be done, with Fleur's perfect skin, and hair that did exactly what it was told, but Molly and Madame Delacour couldn't seem to agree or compromise on anything. It was only when Fleur lost her temper and the angry Veela side of her was witnessed that Molly finally stopped trying to change the makeup palette, reasoning that since her family was providing the tiara and the venue, that the Delacours could have their makeup done the way they wanted.

Soon after, a very old, thin witch in a pink feathery hat and a pinched face toddled into the room, carrying a wooden box. When she caught sight of them she screwed her face up and barked at Ginny and Hermione to assist her.

**"Oh dear, is this the muggleborn?"** The woman asked sharply. **"She has bad posture and skinny ankles."** At this, Hermione had to grit her teeth and smile, she never had liked opinionated purebloods, especially elderly ones who couldn't filter their thoughts, and blondes.

"And Ginevra, your brothers seem to be trying to grow their hair as long as yours, you must get them under control," the elderly witch continued. "I nearly mistook you for that dragon obsessed brother of yours."

"Yes Auntie Muriel, I'll be sure to tell Charlie," Ginny said, gritting her teeth and smiling as well.

After nearly an hour of dealing with dear Auntie Muriel's advice about the best way to wear the tiara, Hermione was glad to get away, joining up with Ron, Fred, George, and a Polyjuiced Harry to complain about the mad Weasley relatives. When Viktor surprised her, causing her to drop her beaded bag full of supplies, she politely said hello, and promised him they would catch up later before making her way to her seat next to Harry and Ron to wait for the ceremony to begin.

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><p>Severus had been stuck with the Weasleys for two days now, first for Harry bloody Potter's birthday, and now for a Weasley wedding, though at least he was disguised for this event, having transfigured his hair to a short, light brown adjusting certain facial features of his face―his nose, of course― his lips were larger, and his skin color was darker so it appeared he had tanned. With all that and his conscious change in posture and manner, he was almost approachable.<p>

He'd never been to a wedding before the Weasley's, Lucius' having been a 'Pureblood only' event, and when he had been invited to an old colleague's wedding fifteen years previously, his oldest friend and greatest adversary had died six months previously, and his mother had just been killed. Since he'd never been to a wedding before, he didn't know if whatever excuse for a dance the Lovegoods were doing was normal or not, but given the family history, probably not.

He was rather enjoying himself, though if anyone had asked he would have snarled that he'd simply been in character. The music was surprisingly well chosen, an upbeat lively tempo that proved itself worthy with the many dancing guests. Surprisingly, the red-haired Tweedledee and Tweedledum were quite good dancers, leading their partners in circles, while Rosencrantz was speaking to Elphias Doge and the horrid Muriel woman who had walked up to him earlier, accused him of standing too straight before toddling off, complaining of her age to anyone with ears, and Guildenstern, trying to dance with Miss Lovegood. Matilda Wormwood was dancing with Viktor Krum and Severus couldn't help but notice that she was looking quite happy. Hopefully, she's getting over her parents deaths, so I can hopefully get my home back. Tonks, who now went by Dora, and Lupin still hadn't taken the hint that since they were now married, they could find their own place to live. But then again, he didn't want to live alone with Granger, so maybe it was best that the wolf and his color-changing wife were still squatting in his house.

Brought out of his thoughts by a silver Patronus lynx, he stared intently at it, wondering why someone had decided to gate-crash.

**"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."** Shacklebolt's deep voice spoke through the cat's mouth and everyone, from the caterers, to the band, and to the guests, stopped what they were doing and looked at the fading creature. It took a moment, though Severus saw Granger immediately look for Potter and Weasley, but the people began panicking, most apparating out, others yelling and running around like a Hippogriff with its head cut off, forgetting that they were witches and wizards and had magic at their fingertips.

He heard Granger and Potter calling for Weasley and realizing that they were going to do something incredibly stupid, like run away, he waded into the chaos. Seeing Granger and Potter holding onto each other, Severus grabbed Potter's dress robes and reached out for a fistful of Weasley's as well (he wasn't going anywhere near Granger with what she was dressed up in, with his luck, Potter and Weasley would take it the wrong way and try to hex him). It was just as well because no sooner had he latched onto Weasley, he felt Potter spin and was pulled into the swirling, constricting blackness.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading everyone, have a safe Halloween for all those trick-or-treaters reading this!<strong>

**Thanks for reading, leave a review for _my_ candy. (Also, I've been meaning to ask you all, do you guys want Draco!Redemption? I hadn't planned on it but if enough people want it I can work it in)**

**~Creelluka**


	18. Chapter 18: Injuries and Explanations

**Hello all, just thought I might post another chapter for you all before I go to sleep, have fun!**

**Thank you, everyone for all the reviews and follows and favorites, you're the best!**

**Disclaimer:**** Hyacinth Bucket is from an old TV show that my grandfather likes to watch called _Keeping Up Appearances_, bolded stuff is from The Deathly Hallows, I own nothing.**

**~Creelluka**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 18: Injuries and Explanations at Privet Drive<strong>

**August 1, 1997**

Immediately upon landing, Severus took stock of his surroundings, freakishly neat house, perfect pictures sitting perfectly on the fireplace mantle, everything exactly even and picture perfect. _Great, he was either in Hyacinth Bucket's home, or in the late Petunia Dursley's house._ The second thing Severus did was turn on Potter, Weasley and Granger, expecting them to have their wands pointed at him. Instead he found Weasley and Potter were kneeling next to a prone Granger, who was bleeding heavily onto the once perfect rug, Potter at least, had the slight sense to have his wand pointed at their tagalong.

"Who the bloody hell are you and what the fuck are you doing here," Potter demanded, his Polyjuice was finally starting to wear off, curly orange hair turning black and straight, previously brown eyes tinging that familiar green.

Severus sneered. "Language, Potter, though term has not yet started I would be happy to make you serve detention until it does." He removed his glamour, and was not surprised to see that Potter was still pointing his wand at him.

"What was the first thing you said to Ron and I in our second year?" Harry demanded.

Severus knew that he wouldn't get any closer to Granger to help if he didn't answer Potter, the pool of blood was getting steadily larger, staining her red dress, so he said, "**Or maybe, he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."** When Potter lowered his wand, Severus knelt beside Miss Granger and started muttering diagnostic spells.

Green and red blobs of spell light hovered over Hermione's body, the most red lay over her bleeding calf, and a faint orangish, red was over her chest.

"Why's she bleeding? Susan Bones didn't bleed like that when she splinched herself last year." Harry asked.

"That's because of the excess magic surrounding Hogwarts, we haven't got enough experience for us to all have Side-Alonged like that, so something got left behind," Ron answered. When Harry looked at him, surprised, Ron shrugged.

"Percy wouldn't shut up about all the technicalities and nuances of Apparation and Disapparation when he started, I guess some of it stuck?"

THough slightly impressed, Snape barked, "Shut up! Weasley, if you have any Dittany I need it now!"

"Er, Hermione said she had some in her bag!" Ron scrabbled for the beaded purse and cursed when he stuck his hand inside and couldn't feel the bottom. Harry pointed his wand at the bag and _accio'd_ out a small brown bottle. Seeing that the two dunderheads had managed to find what he needed, Snape finished clearing the blood away and took the Dittany. He let three drops fall from the dropper onto Granger's wound and watched with satisfaction when the muscles and skin started to knit over. Not wanting to use magic and disturb the healing process, Severus lifted Miss Granger onto the couch beside them, ignoring whatever looks Potter and Weasley were giving him.

Turning back to them, he glared and began lambasting them for their stupidity in leaving the Burrow, for being insufferable, bleeding heart Gryffindors, and again for their stupidity. When he threatened to apparate them both back to Molly Weasley, both Gryffindors rose up and fought against the idea, claiming that they wouldn't leave Hermione and they weren't leaving her side until she was better, and that since she was injured, she couldn't be moved so that meant they were staying.

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><p>The first thing Hermione knew was pain. Black spots sparked across her vision as she woke. The second thing she knew was the shouting, which was giving her a rather bad headache.<p>

"_I don't care if you are of-age, you are still students at Hogwarts and until you graduate you will do as your Professors say_!"

"_Like hell_!"

"_We're not leaving_!"

Hermione didn't recall making a noise, but she must have since the two voices that had just yelled now addressed her.

"Hermione, can you hear us?" _Harry?_

"How are you feeling?" _Ron?_

And a third voice derisively saying, "Of course she can hear you, and there's no other way she would be feeling except pain, she almost splinched her entire calf and shin you dunderheads!" _Professor Snape?_

"Water," she croaked, her mouth suddenly feeling like it had never been moist in her life. She cracked open her eyes and immediately closed them again. _Too bright_. She was also starving, and… still in the red dress from Bill and Fleur's wedding. The wedding. Death Eaters. Her eyes shot open.

"_Harry!_"

"I'm here, 'Mione, I'm alright, we're at Privet Drive, and we're all safe."

"You splinched your leg," Ron said. "But it's alright now, Sna- er, _Professor_ Snape tagged along and he mostly fixed it up."

"You'll need to keep your leg immobile for the next few weeks, Miss Granger, excessive movement will interrupt the healing process and possibly do more damage. Now, do you know who the current Minister of Magic is, Miss Granger? This is simply a test to make sure you remember what has happened and that the most recent events have not been suppressed." Snape asked.

Hermione recalled the silver patronus interrupting the wedding party and the deep voice of Kingsley who reported, "'**Scrimgeour is dead. The Ministry has fallen.'**" Harry and Ron's grim faces told her she was correct.

"Have we heard anything about the attack at the wedding?" As if it were waiting for someone to say exactly that, a glowing silver weasel appeared in the living room and answered Hermione's question.

"_**Family safe. Do not reply. We are being watched**_**."** Arthur Weasley's voice reported, and the patronus faded. Ron slumped to the floor in relief, ending up on the carpet in front of the couch Hermione was lying on.

He leaned his head back to rest on the cushions and sighed, "Thank Merlin."

Ron and Harry then took turns explaining the situation, how Snape wanted to take the two of them back to the Order and their logic in demanding to stay by her side. Harry got Hermione the glass of water then sat down in the chair next to the couch which Ron still sat in front of, and Severus glared at them all from a standing position to the left of the fireplace.

"So what are we going to do?" Hermione asked. "If I'm not allowed to move and you two refuse to leave, and no offense, Professor, but I really can't see you just forgetting we're here and leaving us alone, so what now?"

"We've got a mission from Dumbledore, we can't just ignore it!" Harry asserted.

"I assume you are talking about the Horcruxes, Potter," Snape replied, his trademarked voice of contempt making it clear that he thought Harry believed him stupid for not knowing that Snape already knew about them.

"Well, I'd like to at least see my family!" Ron interrupted, leaning forward from his prior resting position, ignoring Hermione's astonished "Ron, no!". "I don't care what dad said, I can borrow Harry's Invisibility cloak and be back in less than an hour!"

"And you think there will not be detection spells around the property, placed by those who would wish to do you and your family harm?" Snape pointed out. "No, you will stay here if you want to keep your family alive and well." Ron seemed as if he were about to argue again, but looking at Harry and Hermione's faces and realizing that they were just as worried about his family as he was, Ron stood down, settling back against the couch in front of Hermione where she began stroking his hair soothingly like she used to when they were together.

"I just realized something!" Harry blurted, staring at Snape.

"Congratulations, Harry, I'm sure Professor Snape must be pleased."Hermione quipped, nodding towards Snape's repelling glare.

Severus was a tiny bit pleased, but not at Potter, he was pleased that Miss Granger was acting like the cheerful swot she was before her parents died, even if it was due to Potter and Weasley. After all, no one should stay sad for too long, it was best to just get over it as quickly as possible so as to plan revenge.

"How did you get away from the Death Eaters to grab onto us?" Harry asked, referring back to the panic at the wedding earlier that day. "And you were at the funeral, _and_ we've been giving you all our letters to Hermione."

" 'Mione, have you been staying with Snape?" Ron exclaimed, looking up to glare at his Professor. He winced as Hermione pulled his hair.

"Yes, _Professor_ Snape had generously allowed me to stay at his family's Manor in order to allow me time to grieve, it was also a safety measure since every Death Eater would assume that the three of us would be together," she made a circular gesture with a finger to indicate her, Harry, and Ron. "And besides that, Remus was there so he could take his Wolfsbane potion and Tonks-Nym," Hermione corrected herself. "Came to stay just over two weeks after I arrived, and really, I'm better now, I promise." There was a faint tinge of deception in her voice though none detected it but Severus.

The boys seemed appeased but still shot suspicious glances at the man leaning against the mantle, they noticed that _he_ hadn't said a word.

Hermione huffed. "Well now all that's sorted out, can someone please help me to the toilet?"

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><p><strong>Happy belated Guy Fawkes day, and happy early Thanksgiving!<strong>

**Also, I'm pretty sure I asked at the end of last chapter but got no opinions, Do you guys want some Draco Redemption, because I can fit that in if you guys want, I'm taking considerations. Please leave your thoughts, comments, and answers in the review box, I swear I don't bite!**

**~Creelluka**


	19. Chapter 19: People Revealed and Plans

**_"Hello, it's me" (Adele, Hello)_ I'm so glad to have such patient readers! (Hello and welcome to new readers as well!) I'm finally back, though who knows when the next chapter will be?**

**Thanks: Jewels812, Beauty Eclipsed, HGardiner, Blue night fairy, Amarenima Redwood, and Sassyluv for the 'yes' vote of Draco!Redemption, you'll see that first along with the mystery Death Eater from chapter 15.**

**And thanks to Emiliya Wolfe for the kick in the butt to get me going, everyone should read her fic: 'A Tale of Two Sides' which is linked on my Profile along with some other fics I like**

**So what happened last time? (Since it's been so long)**

**The Golden Trio landed at Number 4 Privet Drive, Hermione Splinched her leg, Harry and Ron found out Hermione stayed with Severus (and Remus and Tonks (who is now Nym)). That pretty much sums it up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

**~Creelluka**

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><p><strong>August 3, 1997<strong>

Draco Malfoy had made a mistake. He should never have spoken to the stupid Puff in the first place and now the boy had taken an interest in Bellatrix. He had started following the woman around Riddle Manor, constantly asking questions about torture, Dark Magic, and anything else he could think of. It was bloody annoying. And now he and Draco were to prove themselves, though Draco wasn't sure how finding some tiara at Hogwarts was supposed to prove their loyalty to the Dark Lord. Or what the Dark Lord was planning to do with the Sorting Hat, which, since Professor Snape had delivered it two weeks ago, was now a permanent fixture next to the reptilian man. Draco scowled as his new 'partner' strolled over to talk.

"I'll be over again tomorrow afternoon to begin our planning, we'll find that tiara if it's the last thing we do!" The Puff announced cheerfully. What the daft plonker didn't realize that it _would_ be the last thing they did if they couldn't find it.

"Whatever, Smith, just get out. I've had enough of your stupid cheerfulness for a week." Draco said, disgusted.

"Oh come on, Draco, you don't have to be so formal all the time, it's Zacharias."

_Stupid Puff._

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><p>For two days Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Professor Snape had been at number four Privet Drive, Hermione was still forbidden to put any weight on her leg, but luckily Harry had found an old pair of crutches that Dudley Dursley had insisted on when he had stubbed his toe rather badly at nine years old in one of the closets the day before because Hermione had gotten tired of Harry and Ron having to carry her everywhere since they were still too suspicious of Professor Snape and wouldn't have let him assist in carrying Hermione if he had asked, which he hadn't. The tension was almost tangible as the boys refused to give any details about their mission to Snape and got moody whenever Hermione tried to explain the situation. Because of this, they were all stuck in Little Whinging until either the Gryffindors could escape and find another place to stay, or go to Hogwarts in September and escape from there to look for the Horcruxes.<p>

Snape had claimed the guest bedroom the first afternoon they had arrived, leaving Hermione in Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's bedroom, and Harry and Ron to drag Dudley's mattress into Harry's room so they could bunk together.

Harry and Ron were jointly making dinner, having had silently and unanimously taken over the cooking, and doing quite a good job. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, crutches leaned against the wall, pouring over three of the books she had pilfered from Prince Manor and copying sections that she had marked. Snape entered the kitchen just as Harry and Ron finished putting the food on the table: sausage and sauteed cinnamon apples, namely, Hermione's favorite childhood supper.

In what was quickly becoming normal, Snape filled a plate and went back to the bedroom, glaring and threatening bodily harm and detentions the like they had never experienced if they left the premises. And though Hermione wondered why Snape was with them at all if he was just going to keep ignoring them, she didn't complain because this gave them the opportunity to make more plans.

"So we know that the Horcruxes had meaning to You-Know-Who and that he had somehow gotten ahold of Hufflepuff's Cup," Hermione was saying, mindful to not trigger the Taboo on Voldemort's name. "So it's likely that He also wanted other relics from the other Founders."

"We definitely know for sure about the locket, and it was Sirius' brother who stole it, Dumbledore showed me the memory of him talking to Kreacher about it soon after the Order started using Grimmauld Place as headquarters, when we were doing all of that cleaning." Harry confirmed.

"Wait," Ron interrupted, "Not that hideous necklace with the giant stone, was it?" Harry nodded, Hermione looked on curiously and Ron groaned.

"I know it's a bit of a stretch, Harry, but d'you remember first Hogsmeade trip in sixth year, when you ran into Mundungus and he had Sirius' things?" Hermione and Harry nodded. "Well I think, and mind you this was the beginning of last term, I think I saw it while you were beating the tosser up." Ron looked hesitantly at them, sure they were going to scoff and say it was impossible.

"It's possible," Hermione said slowly, deep in thought.

"Kreacher!" Harry yelled.

With a _CRACK!_ the bitter, elderly elf appeared in Petunia's kitchen.

"Half-blood master calls Kreacher," The house-elf grumbled, then shooting dirty looks at Hermione and Ron he said, "Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors too, how Kreacher's mistress would rage and curse to see poor Kreacher with such filth."

Snape strode in just then, wand out, and a look of severe irritation. He glared at the troublesome lions and the elf before moving to the fridge for something to drink, clearly not going to let them plan in secret anymore.

"Kreacher, I forbid you to call anyone Mudblood, Blood-Traitor, or filth, got it?" Harry ordered and the elf glared maliciously. "Now I need you to find Mundungus Fletcher, he was the bloke that stole stuff from Grimmauld Place after Sirius died, we think he has the locket that Regulus stole from Vol―_You-Know-Who_."

Hearing that, Kreacher burst into angry tears, blubbering about how he had failed to fulfill Master Regulus' last wishes and destroy the locket, it was much like the memory Dumbledore had shown Harry. When the elf had stopped crying he bowed shallowly at Harry, promising to find the rodent loaf Mundungus and glared at Hermione, Ron, and Snape before disappearing with another loud _CRACK!_

"Getting house-elves to do your work for you, Potter? Lazy." Snape spoke for the first time since entering the kitchen. Harry bristled but said nothing, Ron on the other hand, didn't have quite so much self-control.

"Well if you'd rather, we could go out and find the bloke for ourselves," he muttered snidely, and Hermione, despite herself, let out a soft snort of amusement. Ron looked pleased.

Snape glared, mentally adding more points to deduct when school would begin again. And much as he hated being forced to cooperate, he was forced to _help_ the meddlesome three on Dumbledore's orders, so he shared his information.

"The Dark Lord has possession of the Sorting Hat," he said before sweeping out, the effect no less dramatic when dressed in Muggle clothes.

It had been decided that they wouldn't draw attention to themselves as much as possible, so as to not create suspicion from nosy neighbors, which included dressing and behaving as non-magical as possible.

"Was he like that when you stayed with him and Remus and Ton-Nym?" Harry asked, correcting himself as he once again forgot the Mrs. Lupin's new nickname.

"Only a bit, I spent most of my time in the library," Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at this expected fact. If there were books, Hermione was there. "The only real contact was at a few meals and when we, Professor Snape, Remus, and I, and later Nym, went out for something or other." Hermione reflected. "Oh, and when he took me to some place called Spinner's End and started in on insulting my 'mental faculties' and I sort of yelled at him and stormed off," she said guiltily.

"So you yelled at him and got away with it? I bet he's probably going to assign you a ton of detentions when we're back as Hogwarts." Ron gaped, Harry winced sympathetically.

Hermione then changed the subject and began dissecting every possibility of what You-Know-Who might be using the Sorting Hat for, and how it would affect the coming year if the new First Years wouldn't be Sorted.

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><p><strong>Sorry for the short chapter. Check out my Fic Recs on my profile for something to read (I definitely recommend <span>BrightSongBird<span>'s 'Emerald Hill, Book One: The Kitsune' for a Harry Potter-like experience in a world she created.)**

**Thanks again for being so patient, you are the best! Read and Review,**

**Happy Valentine's Massacre, Valentine's Day, Single's Awareness Day, whichever you call it!**

**~Creelluka**


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